CELH Celsius Holdings Inc

Item 1.A. Risk Factors 

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. The following is an update to the risks set forth in Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The risks and uncertainties discussed below Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently see as immaterial, may also harm our business. If any of these risks occur, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you could lose part or all of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or not believed by us to be material could also impact us.

Risk Factors Relating to Our Business

The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and we expect will continue to have, certain impacts on our business and operations, and such impacts may have a material adverse or other effect on our business and results of operations.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has presented and continues to present a substantial public health and economic challenge around the world and is affecting our employees, communities and business operations, as well as the global economy and financial markets. The human and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the measures taken or that may be taken in the future by governments, businesses (including the Company and our suppliers, bottlers/distributors, co-packers and other service providers) and the public at large to limit the COVID-19 pandemic, have and will directly and indirectly impact our business and results of operations, including, without limitation, the following:

Any of the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including those described above, alone or in combination with others, may have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, operating results and/or financial condition. Any of these negative impacts, alone or in combination with others, could exacerbate many of the risk factors discussed herein, any of which could materially affect our business, reputation, operating results and/or financial condition.

We rely on third party co-packers to manufacture our products. If we are unable to maintain good relationships with our co-packers and/or their ability to manufacture our products becomes constrained or unavailable to us, our business could suffer.

We do not directly manufacture our products, but instead outsource such manufacturing to established third party co-packers. These third-party co-packers may not be able to fulfill our demand as it arises, could begin to charge rates that make using their services cost inefficient or may simply not be able to or willing to provide their services to us on a timely basis or at all. In the event of any disruption or delay, whether caused by a rift in our relationship or the inability of our co-packers to manufacture our products as required, we would need to secure the services of alternative co-packers. We may be unable to procure alternative packing facilities at commercially reasonable rates and/or within a reasonably short time period and any such transition could be costly. In such case, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.

We rely on distributors to distribute our products in the Direct Store Delivery (“DSD”) sales channel and in international markets. If we are unable to secure such distributors and/or we are unable to maintain good relationships with our existing distributors, our business could suffer.

We distribute Celsius^® in the DSD sales channel by entering into agreements with distributors having established sales, marketing and distribution organizations. We similarly are seeking to expand our international distribution, particularly in the Far East and elsewhere in Asia by entering into agreements with large established distributors who service those markets. Unilateral decisions by distributors, grocery chains, convenience chains, drug stores, nutrition stores, mass merchants, club warehouses and other customers to discontinue carrying all or any of our products that they are carrying at any time, restrict the range of our products they carry, impose restrictions or limitations on the sale of our products and/or devote less resources to the sale of our products could cause our business to suffer. In addition, possible trading disputes between our distributors and their customers or buying groups may result in the delisting of certain of our products, temporarily or otherwise. Distributor consolidation may also have an impact on our business. Many of our distributors are affiliated with and manufacture and/or distribute other [liquid supplement and beverage] products. In many cases, such products compete directly with our products. The marketing efforts of our distributors are important for our success. If Celsius^® proves to be less attractive to our distributors and/or if we fail to attract distributors, and/or our distributors do not market and promote our products with greater focus in preference to the products of our competitors, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Our customers are material to our success. If we are unable to maintain good relationships with our existing customers, our business could suffer.

Unilateral decisions could be taken by our distributors, grocery chains, convenience chains, drug stores, nutrition stores, mass merchants, club warehouses and other customers to discontinue carrying all or any of our products that they are carrying at any time, which could cause our business to suffer.

Additionally, as a result of the growth of our business and the increase in online sales in 2020 related in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, one customer, Amazon, accounted for approximately 15% and 12.0% of our revenues during the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we do not believe that we are dependent on our sales to Amazon for our continued growth and profitability.

Increases in cost or shortages of raw materials or increases in costs of co-packing costs could adversely impact our business.

The principal raw materials used by us are flavors and ingredient blends as well as aluminum cans, the prices of which are subject to fluctuations. We are uncertain whether the prices of any of the above or any other raw materials or ingredients we utilize will increase in the future and whether we will be able to pass any of such increases on to our customers. We do not use hedging agreements or alternative instruments to manage the risks associated with securing sufficient ingredients or raw materials. In addition, some of these raw materials, such as our distinctive sleek 12 ounce can, are available from a single or a limited number of suppliers. As alternative sources of supply may not be available, any interruption in the supply of such raw materials might materially harm us.

While the liquid supplement and beverage industries have experienced some shortages of cans as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Celsius has been able to secure adequate supply and has not experienced significant adverse effects on its business, operations and financial condition from such shortage. However, there can be no assurance that if such shortages continue, its business, operations and financial condition will not be harmed.

Our failure to accurately estimate demand for our products could adversely affect our business and financial results.

We may not correctly estimate demand for our existing products and/or new products. Our ability to estimate demand for our products is imprecise, particularly with regard to new products, and may be less precise during periods of rapid growth, including in new markets. If we materially underestimate demand for our products or are unable to secure sufficient ingredients, flavors, aluminum cans, sleek aluminum cans and other raw materials for our liquid supplements or experience difficulties with our co-packing arrangements, including production shortages or quality issues, we might not be able to satisfy demand on a short-term basis. Moreover, industry-wide shortages of certain ingredients have been and could, from time to time in the future, be experienced, resulting in production fluctuations and/or product shortages. We generally do not use hedging agreements or alternative instruments to manage this risk. Such shortages could interfere with and/or delay production of certain of our products and could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.

If we do not accurately anticipate the future demand for a particular product or the time it will take to obtain new inventory, our inventory levels may be inadequate and our results of operations may be negatively impacted. If we fail to meet our shipping schedules, we could damage our relationships with distributors and/or retailers, increase our distribution costs and/or cause sales opportunities to be delayed or lost. In order to be able to deliver our products on a timely basis, we need to maintain adequate inventory levels of the desired products. If the inventory of our products held by our distributors and/or retailers is too high, they will not place orders for additional products, which could unfavorably impact our future sales and adversely affect our operating results.

Changes in the retail landscape or the loss of key retail or foodservice customers could adversely affect our financial results.

Our industry is being affected by the trend toward consolidation in and blurring of the lines between retail channels, particularly in Europe and the United States. Larger retailers may seek lower prices from us, may demand increased marketing or promotional expenditures, and may be more likely to use their distribution networks to introduce and develop private-label brands, any of which could negatively affect our profitability. In addition, discounters and value stores are growing at a rapid pace. Our industry is also being affected by the rapid growth in sales through e-commerce retailers, e-commerce websites, mobile commerce applications and subscription services, which may result in a shift away from physical retail operations to digital channels. As we build our e-commerce capabilities, we may not be able to develop and maintain successful relationships with existing and new e-commerce retailers without experiencing a deterioration of our relationships with key customers operating physical retail channels. If we are unable to successfully adapt to the rapidly changing retail landscape, including the rapid growth in digital commerce, our share of sales, volume growth and overall financial results could be negatively affected. In addition, our success depends in part on our ability to maintain good relationships with key retail customers. The loss of one or more of our key retail customers could have an adverse effect on our financial performance.

Significant additional labeling or warning requirements or limitations on the marketing or sale of our products may inhibit sales of affected products.

Various jurisdictions may seek to adopt significant additional product labeling or warning requirements or limitations on the marketing or sale of our products as a result of what they contain or allegations that they cause adverse health effects. If these types of requirements become applicable to one or more of our products under current or future environmental or health laws or regulations, they may inhibit sales of such products.

For example, under one such law in California, known as Proposition 65, if the state has determined that a substance causes cancer or harms human reproduction, a warning must be provided for any product sold in the state that exposes consumers to that substance, unless the exposure falls under an established safe harbor level or another exemption is applicable. If we were required to add Proposition 65 warnings on the labels of one or more of our liquid supplement products produced for sale in California, the resulting consumer reaction to the warnings and possible adverse publicity could negatively affect our sales both in California and in other markets]

Our continued expansion outside of the United States exposes us to uncertain conditions and other risks in international markets.

We have continued expanding sales of our products internationally into a variety of new markets and are currently seeking to expand our international distribution, particularly in the Far East and elsewhere in Asia by entering into agreements with established distributors who service those markets. As our growth strategy includes further expanding our international business, if we are unable to continue to expand distribution of our products outside the United States, our growth rate could be adversely affected. Although we intend to sell through established distributors in international markets, we have limited or no operating experience in many of such markets and it is costly to promote our brands in international markets. We face and will continue to face substantial risks associated with foreign distribution and sale of our products, including: economic and/or political instability in various international markets; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; restrictions on or costs relating to the repatriation of foreign profits to the United States, including possible taxes and/or withholding obligations on any repatriations; and tariffs and/or trade restrictions. These risks could have a significant impact on our ability to distribute and sell our products on a competitive basis in international markets and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Also, distribution and sale of products outside of the United States are subject to risks relating to appropriate compliance with legal and regulatory requirements in local jurisdictions, potentially higher product damage rates if our products are shipped long distances, potentially higher incidence of fraud and/or corruption, credit risk our distributors and potentially adverse tax consequences.

Global or regional catastrophic events could impact our operations and affect our ability to grow our business.

Because of our increasingly global presence, our business could be affected by unstable political conditions, civil unrest, protests and demonstrations, large-scale terrorist acts, especially those directed against the United States or other major industrialized countries where our products are distributed, the outbreak or escalation of armed hostilities, major natural disasters and extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes, wildfires, tornados, earthquakes or floods, or widespread outbreaks of infectious diseases (such as the COVID-19 pandemic). Such catastrophic events could impact our operations and our supply chain, including the production and/or distribution of our products. Materials and/or personnel may need to mobilize to other locations. Our headquarters and a large part of our operations are located in Florida, a state at greater risk of hurricanes. Some of the raw materials we use, including certain sizes of cans, are available from limited suppliers, and a regional catastrophic event impacting such suppliers could adversely impact our operations. In addition, such events could disrupt global or regional economic activity, which could affect consumer purchasing power and consumers’ ability to purchase our products, thereby reducing demand for our products. If our operations are disrupted or we are unable to grow our business as a result of these factors, our growth rate could decline and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Climate change and natural disasters may affect our business.

There is concern that a gradual increase in global average temperatures due to increased carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere could cause significant changes in weather patterns around the globe and an increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters. Changing weather patterns could result in decreased agricultural productivity in certain regions, and/or outbreaks of diseases or other health issues, which may limit availability and/or increase the cost of certain ingredients used in our products and could impact the food security of communities around the world. Increased frequency or duration of extreme weather conditions could also impair production capabilities, disrupt our supply chain and/or impact demand for our products.

Natural disasters and extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes or floods, and outbreaks of diseases (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) or other health issues may affect our operations and the operation of our supply chain, impact the operations of our distributors and unfavorably impact our consumers’ ability to purchase our products. In addition, public expectations for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions could result in increased energy, transportation and raw material costs, and may require us to make additional investments in facilities and equipment. Changes in applicable laws, regulations, standards or practices related to greenhouse gas emissions, packaging and water scarcity, as well as initiatives by advocacy groups in favor of certain climate change-related laws, regulations, standards or practices, may result in increased compliance costs, capital expenditures and other financial obligations, which could affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Sales of our products may also be influenced to some extent by weather conditions in the markets in which we operate. Our third-party co-packers use a number of key ingredients in the manufacture of our liquid supplement products and powder packets that are derived from agricultural commodities. Increased demand for food products and decreased agricultural productivity in certain regions of the world as a result of changing weather patterns and other factors may limit the availability or increase the cost of such agricultural commodities and could impact the food security of communities around the world. Weather conditions may influence consumer demand for certain of our liquid supplements, which could have an effect on our operations, either positively or negatively.

We depend upon our trademarks and proprietary rights, and any failure to protect our intellectual property rights or any claims that we are infringing upon the rights of others may adversely affect our competitive position.

Our success depends, in large part, on our ability to protect our current and future brands and products and to defend our intellectual property rights. We have registered the Celsius^® and MetaPlus^® trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, as well as a number of additional trademarks. We cannot be sure that trademarks will be issued with respect to any future trademark applications or that our competitors will not challenge, invalidate or circumvent any existing or future trademarks issued to, or licensed by, us.

Our products are manufactured using our proprietary blends of ingredients. These blends are created by third-party suppliers to our specifications and then supplied to our co-packers. Although all of the third parties in our supply and manufacture chain execute confidentiality agreements, there can be no assurance that our trade secrets, including our proprietary ingredient blends will not become known to competitors.

We believe that our competitors, many of whom are more established and have greater financial and personnel resources than we do, may be able to replicate or reverse engineer our processes, brands, flavors, or our products in a manner that could circumvent our protective safeguards. Therefore, we cannot give you any assurance that our confidential business information will remain proprietary. Any such loss of confidentiality could diminish or eliminate any competitive advantage provided by our proprietary information.

We must continually maintain, protect and/or upgrade our information technology systems, including protecting us from internal and external cybersecurity threats.

Information technology enables us to operate efficiently, interface with customers, maintain financial accuracy and efficiency and accurately produce our financial statements. If we do not appropriately allocate and effectively manage the resources necessary to build and sustain the proper technology infrastructure, we could be subject to transaction errors, processing inefficiencies, the loss of customers, business disruptions, and/or the loss of and/or damage to intellectual property through security breaches, including internal and external cybersecurity threats. Cybersecurity attacks are evolving and include, but are not limited to, malicious software (malware, ransomware and viruses), phishing and social engineering, attempts to gain unauthorized access to networks, computer systems and data, malicious or negligent actions of employees (including misuse of information they are entitled to access) and other forms of electronic security breaches that could lead to disruptions in business systems, an inability to process customer orders and/or lost customer orders, unauthorized release of confidential or otherwise protected information and corruption of data.

We rely on relationships with third parties, including suppliers, distributors, co-packers, contractors, cloud data storage and other information technology service providers and other external business partners, for certain functions or for services in support of our operations. These third-party service providers and partners, with whom we may share data, are subject to similar risks as we are relating to cybersecurity, privacy violations, business interruption, and systems, as well as employee failures. While we have procedures in place for selecting and managing our relationships with third-party service providers and other business partners, we do not have control over their business operations or governance and compliance systems, practices and procedures, which increases our financial, legal, reputational and operational risk. These third parties may experience cybersecurity incidents that may involve data we share with them or rely on them to provide to us, and the need to coordinate with such third-parties, including with respect to timely notification and access to personnel and information concerning an incident, may complicate our efforts to resolve any issues that arise.

We believe that we have adopted appropriate measures including ongoing cybersecurity risk assessments to mitigate potential risks to our technology and our operations from these information technology-related disruptions. However, given the unpredictability of the timing, nature and scope of such disruptions, we could potentially be subject to operational interruption, damage to our brand image and private data exposure.

Moreover, if our data management systems do not effectively collect, store, process and report relevant data for the operation of our business (whether due to equipment malfunction or constraints, software deficiencies, cybersecurity attack and/or human error), our ability to effectively plan, forecast and execute our business plan and comply with applicable laws and regulations will be impaired, perhaps materially. Any such impairment could materially and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and the timeliness with which we report our internal and external operating results.

If we fail to comply with data privacy and personal data protection laws, we could be subject to adverse publicity, government enforcement actions and/or private litigation, which may negatively impact our business and operating results.

We receive, process, transmit and store information relating to certain identified or identifiable individuals (“personal data”), including current and former employees, in the ordinary course of business. As a result, we are subject to various U.S. federal and state and foreign laws and regulations relating to personal data. These laws are subject to change, and new personal data legislation may be enacted in other jurisdictions at any time. In the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) became effective in May 2018 for all member states. The GDPR includes operational requirements for companies receiving or processing personal data of residents of the European Union different from those that were previously in place and also includes significant penalties for noncompliance. Additionally, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”), which was enacted in June 2018 and came into effect on January 1, 2020, provides a new private right of action and statutory damages for certain data breaches and imposes operational requirements on companies that process personal data of California residents, including making new disclosures to consumers about data collection, processing and sharing practices and allowing consumers to opt out of certain data sharing with third parties.

Changes introduced by the GDPR and the CCPA, as well as other changes to existing personal data protection laws and the introduction of such laws in other jurisdictions, subject the Company to, among other things, additional costs and expenses and may require costly changes to our business practices and security systems, policies, procedures and practices. There can be no assurances that our security controls over personal data, training of personnel on data privacy and data security, vendor management processes, and the policies, procedures and practices we implement will prevent the improper processing or breaches of personal data. Data breaches or improper processing, or breaches of personal data in violation of the GDPR, the CCPA and/or of other personal data protection or privacy laws and regulations, could harm our reputation, cause loss of consumer confidence, subject us to government enforcement actions (including fines), or result in private litigation against us, which may result in potential loss of revenue, increased costs, liability for monetary damages or fines and/or criminal prosecution, thereby negatively impacting our business and operating results.

We may incur material losses as a result of product recall and product liability.

We may be liable if the consumption of any of our products causes injury, illness or death. We also may be required to recall some of our products if they become contaminated or are damaged or mislabeled. A significant product liability judgment against us, or a widespread product recall, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The amount of the insurance we carry is limited, and that insurance is subject to certain exclusions and may or may not be adequate.

We rely on our management team and other key personnel.

We depend on the skills, experience, relationships, and continued services of key personnel, including our experienced management team. In addition, our ability to achieve our operating goals also depends on our ability to recruit, train, and retain qualified individuals. We compete with other companies both within and outside of our industry for talented personnel, and we may lose key personnel or fail to attract and retain additional talented personnel. Any such loss or failure could adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.

In particular, our continued success will depend in part, on our ability to retain the talents and dedication of key employees. If key employees finalize their employment, become ill as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, or if an insufficient number of employees is retained to maintain effective operations, our business may be adversely affected and our management team may be distracted. Furthermore, we may not be able to locate suitable replacements for any of our key employees who leave or be able to offer employment to potential replacements on reasonable terms, all of which could adversely affect our procurement & distribution processes, sales & marketing activities, financial processes and condition and results of operations.

The FDA has not passed on the efficacy of our products or the accuracy of any claim we make related to our products.

Although six independent clinical studies have been conducted relating to the calorie-burning and related effects of our products, the results of these studies have not been submitted to or reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”). Further, the FDA has not passed on the efficacy of any of our products nor has it reviewed or passed on any claims we make related to our products, including the claim that our products aid consumers in burning calories or enhancing their metabolism.

Risk Factors Relating to Our Industry

We are subject to significant competition in the liquid supplement and beverage industries.

The functional energy drink and liquid supplement industries highly competitive. The principal areas of competition are pricing, packaging, distribution channel penetration, development of new products and flavors, product positioning as well as promotion and marketing strategies. Our products compete with a wide range of drinks produced by a relatively large number of manufacturers, most of which have substantially greater financial, marketing and distribution resources and name recognition than we do.

Important factors affecting our ability to compete successfully include the efficacy, taste and flavor of our products, trade and consumer promotions, rapid and effective development of new, unique cutting-edge products, attractive and different packaging, branded product advertising and pricing. The success of our social media and other general marketing endeavors may impact our business, financial condition and results of operation. Our products compete with all liquid refreshments and with products of much larger and substantially better financed competitors, including the products of numerous nationally and internationally known producers, such as The Coca Cola Company, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, PepsiCo, Inc., Nestle, Waters North America, Inc., Hansen Natural Corp. and Red Bull. We also compete with companies that are smaller or primarily local in operation. Our products also compete with private label brands such as those carried by supermarket chains, convenience store chains, drug store chains, mass merchants and club warehouses.

The rapid growth in sales through e-commerce retailers, e-commerce websites, mobile commerce applications and subscription services, and closures of physical retail operations, particularly during, and potentially following, the COVID-19 pandemic, may result in a shift away from physical retail operations to digital channels and a reduction in impulse purchases. Further, the ability of consumers to compare prices on a real-time basis using digital technology puts additional pressure on us to maintain competitive prices. Sales in gas chains may also be affected by improvements in fuel efficiency and increased consumer preferences for electric or alternative fuel-powered vehicles, which may result in fewer trips by consumers to gas stations and a corresponding reduction in purchases by consumers in convenience gas retailers. We have been growing our e-commerce sales by using Amazon and leveraging our retail partners e-commerce platforms, rather than building our own internal platform. However, if we are unable to successfully adapt to the rapidly changing retail landscape, our share of sales, volume growth and overall financial results could be negatively affected.

Due to competition in the functional energy drink and liquid supplement industries, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter difficulties in maintaining our current revenues, market share or position in the functional energy drink and liquid supplement categories and industries. If our revenues decline, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Our inability to innovate successfully and to provide new cutting-edge products could adversely affect our business and financial results.

Our ability to compete in the highly competitive functional energy drink and liquid supplement industries and to achieve our business growth objectives depends, in part, on our ability to develop new flavors, products and packaging. The success of our innovation, in turn, depends on our ability to identify consumer trends and cater to consumer preferences. If we are not successful in our innovation activities, our business, financial condition and results of operation could be adversely affected.

Changes in consumer product and shopping preferences may reduce demand for some of our products.

The functional energy drink and supplement and beverage categories are subject to changing consumer preferences and shifts in consumer preferences may adversely affect us. There is increasing awareness of and concern for health, wellness and nutrition considerations, including concerns regarding caloric intake associated with sugar-sweetened drinks and the perceived undesirability of artificial ingredients. Our products do not contain the artificial preservatives often found in many energy drinks and sodas. Celsius has no artificial preservatives, aspartame or high fructose corn syrup and is very low in sodium. The main Celsius line of products are sweetened with sucralose, a sugar-derived sweetener that is found in Splenda®, which makes our liquid supplements low-calorie and suitable for consumers whose sugar intake is restricted. There are also changes in demand for different packages, sizes and configurations. This may reduce demand for our liquid supplements, which could reduce our revenues and adversely affect our results of operations.

Consumers are seeking greater variety in their functional energy drinks and liquid supplements. Our future success will depend, in part, upon our continued ability to develop and introduce different and innovative drinks and supplements that appeal to consumers. In order to retain and expand our market share, we must continue to develop and introduce different and innovative liquid supplements and be competitive in the areas of efficacy, taste, quality and price, although there can be no assurance of our ability to do so. There is no assurance that consumers will continue to purchase our products in the future. Product lifecycles for some functional energy drink and liquid supplement brands, products and/or packages may be limited to a few years before consumers’ preferences change. The functional energy drink and liquid supplements we currently market are in varying stages of their product lifecycles, and there can be no assurance that such products will become or remain profitable for us. We may be unable to achieve volume growth through product and packaging initiatives. We may also be unable to penetrate new markets. Additionally, as shopping patterns are being affected by the digital evolution, with customers embracing shopping by way of mobile device applications, e-commerce retailers and e-commerce websites or platforms, we may be unable to address or anticipate changes in consumer shopping preferences or engage with our customers on their preferred platforms. If our revenues decline, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

We derive virtually all of our revenues from functional energy drinks and liquid supplements, and competitive pressure in the functional energy drink and liquid supplement category could adversely affect our business and operating results.

Our focus is in the functional energy drink and liquid supplement category, and our business is vulnerable to adverse changes impacting the fitness liquid supplement category and business, which could adversely impact our business and the trading price of our common stock.

Virtually all of our sales are derived from our functional energy drink and liquid supplements, including our CELSIUS Originals, CELSIUS HEAT, CELSIUS BCCA+ENERGY, CELSIUS On-the-Go and CELSIUS product lines. Any decrease in the sales of our functional energy drinks and liquid supplements could significantly adversely affect our future revenues and net income. Historically, we have experienced substantial competition from new entrants in the functional energy drink and liquid supplement categories.

The increasing number of competitive products and limited amount of shelf space, including in coolers, in retail stores may adversely impact our ability to gain or maintain our share of sales in the marketplace. In addition, certain actions of our competitors, including unsubstantiated and/or misleading claims, false advertising claims and tortious interference in our business, as well as competitors selling misbranded products, could impact our sales. Competitive pressures in the functional energy drink and liquid supplement categories could impact our revenues, cause price erosion and/or lower market share, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations

We compete in an industry that is brand-conscious, so brand name recognition and acceptance of our products are critical to our success and significant marketing and advertising could be needed to achieve and sustain brand recognition.

Our business is substantially dependent upon awareness and market acceptance of our products and brands by our targeted consumers. Our business depends on acceptance by our independent distributors of our brand as one that has the potential to provide incremental sales growth rather than reduce distributors’ existing functional energy drinks and liquid supplements. The development of brand awareness and market acceptance is likely to require significant marketing and advertising expenditures. There can be no assurance that Celsius will achieve and maintain satisfactory levels of acceptance by independent distributors and retail consumers. Any failure of the Celsius brand to maintain or increase acceptance or market penetration would likely have a material adverse effect on business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we are unable to successfully manage new product launches, our business and financial results could be adversely affected.

Due to the highly competitive nature of the global functional energy rink and liquid supplement sectors, we expect and intend to continue to introduce new products and evolve existing products to better match customer demand. The success of new and evolved products depends on a number of factors, including timely and successful development and consumer acceptance. Such endeavors may also involve significant risks and uncertainties, including distraction of management from current operations, greater than expected liabilities and expenses, inadequate return on capital, exposure to additional regulations and reliance on the performance of third parties.

Our sales are affected by seasonality.

As is typical in the functional energy drink and liquid supplement sectors, our sales are seasonal. Our highest sales volumes generally occur in the second and third quarters, which correspond to the warmer months of the year in our major markets. Consumer demand for our products is also affected by weather conditions. Cool, wet spring or summer weather could result in decreased sales of our liquid supplements and could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

Our business is subject to many regulations and noncompliance is costly.

The production, marketing and sale of our functional energy drinks and liquid supplements are subject to the rules and regulations of various federal, state and local health agencies. The marketing and sale of our products internationally is similarly subject to compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations in those foreign countries where our products are sold. If a regulatory authority finds that a current or future product or production run is not in compliance with any of these regulations, we may be fined, or production may be stopped, thus adversely affecting our business, financial condition and results of operations. Similarly, any adverse publicity associated with any noncompliance may damage our reputation and our ability to successfully market our products. Furthermore, the rules and regulations are subject to change from time to time and while we closely monitor developments in this area, we have no way of anticipating whether changes in these rules and regulations will impact our business adversely. Additional or revised regulatory requirements, whether labeling, environmental, tax or otherwise, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Product safety and quality concerns, or other negative publicity (whether or not warranted) could damage our brand image and corporate reputation and may cause our business to suffer.

Our success depends in large part on our ability to maintain consumer confidence in the safety and quality of all of our products. We have rigorous product safety and quality standards, which we expect our operations as well as our suppliers to meet. However, despite our strong commitment to product safety and quality, we or our suppliers may not always meet these standards, particularly as we expand our product offerings through innovation or acquisitions into product categories, that are beyond our traditional range of functional energy drinks and liquid supplements. If we or our suppliers fail to comply with applicable product safety and quality standards, or if our liquid supplement products taken to the market are or become contaminated or adulterated by any means, we may be required to conduct costly product recalls and may become subject to product liability claims and negative publicity, which could cause our business to suffer.

Our success also depends on our ability to build and maintain the brand image for our existing products, new products and brand extensions and maintain our corporate reputation. There can be no assurance that our advertising, marketing and promotional programs and our commitment to product safety and quality, human rights and environmental sustainability will have the desired impact on our products’ brand image and on consumer preferences and demand. Claims regarding product safety, quality and/or ingredient content issues, efficacy or lack thereof (real or imagined), our culture and our workforce, our environmental impact and the sustainability of our operations, or allegations of product contamination, even if false or unfounded, could tarnish the image of our brands and may cause consumers to choose other products. Consumer demand for our products could diminish significantly if we, our employees, distributors, suppliers or business partners fail to preserve the quality of our products, act or are perceived to act in an unethical, illegal, discriminatory, unequal or socially irresponsible manner, including with respect to the sourcing, content or sale of our products, service and treatment of our customers, or the use of customer data. Furthermore, our brand image or perceived product quality could be adversely affected by litigation, unfavorable reports in the media (internet or elsewhere), studies in general and regulatory or other governmental inquiries (in each case whether involving our products or those of our competitors) and proposed or new legislation affecting our industry. Negative postings or comments on social media or networking websites about the Company or any one of our brands, even if inaccurate or malicious, could generate adverse publicity that could damage the reputation of our brands or the Company. Business incidents, whether isolated or recurring and whether originating from us, our distributors, suppliers or business partners, that erode consumer trust can significantly reduce brand value or potentially trigger boycotts of our products and can have a negative impact on consumer demand for our products as well as our reputation and financial results. The impact of such incidents may be exacerbated if they receive considerable publicity, including rapidly through social or digital media (including for malicious reasons) or result in litigation.

In addition, from time to time, there are public policy endeavors that are either directly related to our products and packaging or to our business. These public policy debates can occasionally be the subject of backlash from advocacy groups that have a differing point of view and could result in adverse media and consumer reaction, including product boycotts. Similarly, our sponsorship relationships could subject us to negative publicity as a result of actual or alleged misconduct by individuals or entities associated with organizations we sponsor or support. Likewise, campaigns by activists connecting us, or our supply chain, with human and workplace rights, environmental or animal rights issues could adversely impact our corporate image and reputation. Allegations, even if untrue, that we are not respecting the human rights found in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights; actual or perceived failure by our suppliers or other business partners to comply with applicable labor and workplace rights laws, including child labor laws, or their actual or perceived abuse or misuse of migrant workers; adverse publicity surrounding obesity and health concerns related to our products, our environmental impact and the sustainability of our operations, labor relations, our culture and our workforce or the like could negatively affect our Company’s overall reputation and brand image, which in turn could have a negative impact on our products’ acceptance by consumers. 

Risk Factors Relating to our Status as a Reporting Public Company

We are subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act that require us to incur audit fees and legal fees in connection with the preparation of such reports. These additional costs could reduce or eliminate our ability to earn a profit.

We are subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and as a result, we are required to file periodic reports with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. In order to comply with these requirements, our independent registered public accounting firm must review our financial statements on a quarterly basis and audit our financial statements on an annual basis. Moreover, our legal counsel reviews and assists in the preparation of such reports. The fees of these professionals cannot be accurately predicted because factors such as the number and type of transactions that we engage in and the complexity of our required reports cannot be determined at this time. However, the incurrence of such costs will obviously be an expense to our operations and thus have a negative effect on our ability to meet our overhead requirements and earn a profit. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our business and operating results could be harmed, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, and the trading price of our common stock could drop significantly.

If we do not maintain an effective internal control environment as well as adequate control procedures over our financial reporting, investor confidence may be adversely affected thereby unfavorably impacting the value of our stock price.

We are required to maintain proper internal control over our financial reporting and adequate controls related to our disclosures. As defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act, internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by the board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. If we fail to maintain adequate controls, our business, the results of operations, financial condition and/or the value of our stock may be adversely impacted.

We must maintain additional disclosure controls procedures with respect to acquisitions.

When we undertake acquisitions, such as our October 2019 acquisition of our Nordic distribution partner, there are specific technical rules, compliance with which are necessary to provide proper disclosures to the users of the financial statements. If these rules are not followed, the information provided may not be complete or properly comply with all the technical requirements.

Risk Factors Related to our Common Stock

We cannot guarantee the continued existence of an active established public trading market for our common stock.

Our common stock currently is listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Trading in stock quoted on the Nasdaq Capital Market may often experience wide fluctuations in trading prices, due to many factors that may have little to do with our operations or business prospects. This volatility could depress the market price of our common stock for reasons unrelated to operating performance.

Market prices for our common stock may also be influenced by a number of other factors, including:

Our board of directors has the authority, without shareholder approval, to issue preferred stock with terms that may not be beneficial to common shareholders and with the ability to affect adversely shareholder voting power and perpetuate their control over us.

Our Articles of Incorporation allows our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock without any vote or further action by our shareholders. Our board of directors has the authority to fix and determine the relative rights and preferences of preferred stock. As a result, our board of directors could authorize the issuance of a series of preferred stock that would grant to holders the preferred right to our assets upon liquidation, the right to receive dividend payments before dividends are distributed to the holders of common stock and the right to the redemption of the shares, together with a premium, prior to the redemption of our common stock.

The ability of our principal shareholders to control our business may limit or eliminate minority shareholders’ ability to influence corporate affairs.

Our principal shareholders own common stock and/or preferred stock which holds a majority of the voting power of our issued and outstanding capital. Accordingly, they will be able to effectively control the election of directors, as well as all other matters requiring shareholder approval. The interests of our principal shareholders may differ from the interests of other shareholders with respect to the issuance of shares, business transactions with or sales to other companies, selection of other directors and other business decisions. The minority shareholders have no way of overriding decisions made by our principal shareholders. This level of control may also have an adverse impact on the market value of our shares because our principal shareholders may institute or undertake transactions, policies or programs that result in losses, may not take any steps to increase our visibility in the financial community and / or may sell sufficient numbers of shares to significantly decrease our price per share.

We do not expect to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock. We do not expect to pay cash dividends on our common stock at any time in the foreseeable future. The future payment of dividends directly depends upon our future earnings, capital requirements, financial requirements and other factors that our board of directors will consider. Since we do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our common stock, return on your investment, if any, will depend solely on an increase, if any, in the market value of our common stock.