Church & Dwight Co. Inc.: 10-K Risk Factor Changes

Despite increasing shifts to e-commerce, sales of our products remain highest in the traditional mass merchandiser, food and drug retail stores, and our products are also sold in club stores and dollar stores channels. However, alternative retail channels, including direct to consumer, e-commerce retailers, hard discounters, subscription services and buying clubs, have become more prevalent and the volume of consumer products that are sold through such alternative retail channels is continuing to increase, which may affect customer and consumer preferences, including any pricing pressures for consumer goods as retailers face added costs to build or further expand their e-commerce capacity. In addition, a growing number of alternative sales channels and business models, such as niche brands, native online brands, private label and store brands, direct-to-consumer brands and channels and discounter channels, have emerged in the markets we serve. In particular, the growing presence of, and increasing sales through, e-commerce retailers have affected, and may continue to affect, consumer behavior or preferences (as consumers increasingly shop online and via mobile and social applications) and market dynamics, including any pricing pressures for consumer goods as retailers face added costs to build their e-commerce capacity. Further, consumer preferences continue to evolve due to a number of factors, including fragmentation of the consumer market and changes in consumer demographics, including the aging of the general population and the emergence of Millennials and Generation Z who have different spending, consumption and purchasing habits; evolving consumer concerns or perceptions regarding ESG practices of manufacturers, including, packaging materials, such as plastic packaging, and their environmental impact; greenhouse gas emissions; waste disposal practices; a growing demand for natural 15 15 or organic products and ingredients; changing consumer sentiment toward non-local products or sources among different demographic groups; evolving consumer concerns or perceptions regarding the effects of ingredients or substances present in certain consumer products; reduced brand loyalty; and concerns regarding human capital practices, including DEI. We and many of our competitors have increased our online sales as a result of shifting consumer behavior, benefiting from scale, brand recognition, and other factors. However, as consumers continue to shift their behavior, retailers may incur higher e-commerce operating costs and will seek to recover those costs by passing them onto customers and manufacturers. Additionally, we cannot predict the extent to which our increased e-commerce demand will continue or the impact on our profits as retailers seek to recover higher e-commerce related operating costs. Any significant changes in consumer preferences or behavior could materially and negatively impact demand for our products and, in turn, our net sales and results of operations. Consumer preferences are also influenced by the perception of our brand images or those of our products, the success of advertising and marketing campaigns, our ability to engage with consumers in the manner they prefer, including through the use of digital media or assets, and the perception of our advertising content, use of social media and extent of engagement in political and social issues. If we are not successful in continuing to adapt to changing consumer preferences and market dynamics or expanding sales through e-commerce retailers or alternative retail channels, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be negatively impacted.

Despite increasing shifts to e-commerce, sales of our products remain highest in the traditional mass merchandiser, food and drug retail stores, and our products are also sold in club stores and dollar stores channels. However, alternative retail channels, including direct to consumer, e-commerce retailers, hard discounters, subscription services and buying clubs, have become more prevalent and the volume of consumer products that are sold through such alternative retail channels is continuing to increase, which may affect customer and consumer preferences, including in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and market dynamics, including any pricing pressures for consumer goods as retailers face added costs to build their e-commerce capacity. In addition, a growing number of alternative sales channels and business models, such as niche brands, native online brands, private label and store brands, direct-to-consumer brands and channels and discounter channels, have emerged in the markets we serve driven, in part, by the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the growing presence of, and increasing sales through, e-commerce retailers have affected, and may continue to affect, consumer behavior or preferences (as consumers increasingly shop online and via mobile and social applications) and market dynamics, including any pricing pressures for consumer goods as retailers face added costs to build their e-commerce capacity. These trends have been magnified due to the COVID-19 pandemic in many of our geographies. Further, consumer preferences continue to evolve due to a number of factors, including fragmentation of the consumer market and changes in consumer demographics, including the aging of the general population and the emergence of Millennials and Generation Z who have different spending, consumption and purchasing habits; evolving consumer concerns or perceptions regarding ESG practices of manufacturers, including, packaging materials, such as plastic packaging, and their environmental impact; greenhouse gas 16 emissions; waste disposal practices; a growing demand for natural or organic products and ingredients; changing consumer sentiment toward non-local products or sources among Millennials and other demographic groups; evolving consumer concerns or perceptions regarding the effects of ingredients or substances present in certain consumer products; reduced brand loyalty; and concerns regarding human capital practices, including DEI. We and many of our competitors have increased our online sales as a result of shifting consumer behavior, benefiting from scale, brand recognition, and other factors. However, as consumers continue to shift their behavior, retailers may incur higher e-commerce operating costs and will seek to recover those costs by passing them onto customers and manufacturers. Additionally, we cannot predict the extent to which our increased e-commerce demand will continue and a reduction in demand would have a negative impact on our sales.

Our financial success is directly dependent on the reputation and success of our brands, particularly our power brands. Seven of those brands are designated as "power brands" because they compete in large categories, and we believe they have the potential for significant global expansion. Those seven brands are ARM & HAMMER®; OXICLEAN®; VITAFUSION® and L’IL CRITTERS®; BATISTE®; WATERPIK®; THERABREATH®; and HERO® and represent approximately 70% of our net sales and profits. The effectiveness of these brands could suffer if our marketing plans or product initiatives do not have the desired impact on a brand’s image or its ability to attract consumers. Our brands could suffer damage to their reputations due to real or perceived, sustainability, quality or safety issues, including as a result of, among other things, significant product recalls, product-related litigation, defects or impurities in our products, product misuse, changing consumer perceptions of certain ingredients or environmental impacts (including packaging, energy and water use and waste 19 19 management), or allegations of product tampering. In addition, as our sales on various e-commerce platforms grow, we may be unable to prevent sales of counterfeit, pirated, or stolen goods, unlawful or unethical sales, unauthorized resellers online, or sales in violation of our policies. Additionally, claims made in our marketing campaigns may become subject to litigation alleging false advertising and could cause us to alter our marketing plans and may affect sales or result in the imposition of significant damages against us. Widespread use of social media and networking sites by consumers has greatly increased the accessibility and speed of dissemination of negative information. Negative online consumer reviews or inaccurate posting or comments about us or our brands in the media or on any social networking website, whether accurate or inaccurate, or the disclosure of non-public sensitive information through social media, could generate adverse publicity that could damage the reputation of our brands. In addition, given the association of our individual products with us, an issue with one of our products could negatively affect the reputation of our other products, or us as a whole.

Our financial success is directly dependent on the reputation and success of our brands, particularly the ARM & HAMMER, BATISTE, FIRST RESPONSE, NAIR, ORAJEL, OXICLEAN, TROJAN, L’IL CRITTERS and VITAFUSION, SPINBRUSH, WATERPIK, XTRA, ZICAM, THERABREATH and HERO brands. The effectiveness of these brands could suffer if our marketing plans or product initiatives do not have the desired impact on a brand’s image or its ability to attract consumers. Our brands could suffer damage to their reputations due to real or perceived, sustainability, quality or safety issues, including as a result of, among other things, significant product recalls, product-related litigation, defects or impurities in our products, product misuse, changing consumer perceptions of certain ingredients or environmental impacts (including packaging, energy and water use and waste management), or allegations of product tampering. In addition, as our sales on various e-commerce platforms grow, we may be unable to prevent sales of counterfeit, pirated, or stolen goods, unlawful or unethical sales, unauthorized resellers online, or sales in violation of our policies. In the fourth quarter of 2022, we determined that a review of our ability to recover the carrying values of the global FINISHING TOUCH FLAWLESS intangible assets was necessary based on the discontinuance of certain products at a major retailer. We have removed the FINISHING TOUCH FLAWLESS brand from our list of “power brands.” Additionally, claims made in our marketing campaigns may become subject to litigation alleging false advertising and could cause us to alter our marketing plans and may affect sales or result in the imposition of significant damages against us. 20 Widespread use of social media and networking sites by consumers has greatly increased the accessibility and speed of dissemination of negative information. Negative online consumer reviews or inaccurate posting or comments about us or our brands in the media or on any social networking website, whether accurate or inaccurate, or the disclosure of non-public sensitive information through social media, could generate adverse publicity that could damage the reputation of our brands. In addition, given the association of our individual products with us, an issue with one of our products could negatively affect the reputation of our other products, or us as a whole.

A significant percentage of our revenues come from mature markets that are subject to high levels of competition. During 2023, approximately 83% of our sales were generated in U.S. markets. U.S. markets for consumer products are considered mature and commonly characterized by high household penetration, particularly with respect to our most significant product categories, such as laundry detergents, deodorizers, household cleaning products, toothpastes, dietary supplements, antiperspirants and deodorants. Our ability to quickly innovate to adapt our products (including product packaging and sustainability profiles) to meet changing consumer demands is essential, especially in light of e-commerce significantly reducing the barriers for even small competitors to quickly introduce new brands and products directly to consumers. Even if we are successful in increasing sales within our product categories, a continuing or accelerating decline in the overall markets for our products could have a negative impact on our financial results. We have implemented price increases and may implement additional price increases in the future, which may slow sales growth or create volume declines in the short term as customers and consumers adjust to these price increases. In addition, our Specialty Products business has been negatively impacted by the entrance of new foreign competition in the United States dairy market. We expect that low-priced imports will continue to enter the market. Our Specialty Products Division declined in 2023, largely due to declining sales of our MEGALAC dairy supplement within our Animal Nutrition business. We will be exiting this part of the Animal Nutrition business during the first quarter of 2024. Adverse economic conditions continue to impact a portion of our businesses. We believe that inflation and recessionary concerns are continuing to drive a decline in consumer spending for our most discretionary brands, Waterpik and Flawless, as consumers reduce spending in these categories and shift to lower cost alternatives. Most notably, a growing number of water flosser consumers are continuing to switch to competitors' value-branded products. Moreover, in our vitamin business, we are experiencing residual impacts from previous vitamin-specific supply chain challenges that resulted in increased shelf space and/ or display for certain of our competitors. Overall, we have continued to experience increased online sales. Potential recessionary economic conditions may impact consumer demand for certain of our products and put downward pressure on product prices.

A significant percentage of our revenues come from mature markets that are subject to high levels of competition. During 2022, approximately 83% of our sales were generated in U.S. markets. U.S. markets for consumer products are considered mature and commonly characterized by high household penetration, particularly with respect to our most significant product categories, such as laundry detergents, deodorizers, household cleaning products, toothpastes, dietary supplements, antiperspirants and deodorants. Our ability to quickly innovate to adapt our products to meet changing consumer demands is essential, especially in light of e-commerce significantly reducing the barriers for even small competitors to quickly introduce new brands and products directly to consumers. Even if we are successful in increasing sales within our product categories, a continuing or accelerating decline in the overall markets for our products could have a negative impact on our financial results. We have implemented price increases and may implement additional price increases in the future, which may slow sales growth or create volume declines in the short term as customers and consumers adjust to these price increases. Adverse economic conditions continue to impact a portion of our businesses. Recently we have experienced a decline in consumer spending for our most discretionary brands, primarily WATERPIK and FINISHING TOUCH FLAWLESS. In addition, our WATERPIK brand has also been impacted by a consumer shift to lower cost alternatives due primarily to inflationary pressures and recessionary concerns. Most notably, a growing number of water flosser consumers are continuing to switch to competitors' value-branded products. Moreover, in the vitamin category there continues to be a softening of growth from record high levels during the COVID-19 pandemic and significant product competition coming from new category entrants. Additionally, if our vitamin fill rates continue to be below historical levels, we are vulnerable to retail customers limiting distribution of our vitamin products and consumers shifting their loyalty to competitors’ products. Our Passport Food Safety business has continued to experience decreased demand driven by the pandemic and other pressures. In the fourth quarter of 2022, we determined that a review of our ability to recover the carrying value of the global FINISHING TOUCH FLAWLESS intangible assets was necessary based on the discontinuance of certain products at a major retailer. This loss of distribution along with an expected continued decline in discretionary consumption and higher interest rates resulted in an impairment charge as discussed in more detail in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Overall, we have continued to experience increased online sales. Potential recessionary economic conditions may impact consumer demand for certain of our products and put downward pressure on product prices.

Our future effective tax rate could be affected by changes in or the interpretation tax laws and regulations, changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, or changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities. In addition, we evaluate our deferred income tax assets and record a valuation allowance if it is “more likely than not” that all or a portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. If the actual amount of our future taxable income is less than the amount we are currently projecting with respect to specific tax jurisdictions, or if there is a change in the time period within which the deferred tax asset becomes deductible, we could be required to record a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. The recording of a valuation allowance would result in an increase in our effective tax rate and would have an adverse effect on our operating results. In addition, changes in statutory tax rates may change our deferred tax assets or liability balances, which would also impact our effective tax rate. On October 4, 2021, members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) agreed to a global minimum tax rate of 15%. On December 20, 2021, OECD published its model rules on the agreed minimum tax known as the Global Anti-Base Erosion (“GloBE”) rules. The GloBE Rules consist of an interlocking and coordinated system of rules which are designed to be implemented into the domestic law of each jurisdiction and operate together to ensure large multinational enterprise groups are subject to a minimum effective tax rate of 15% on any excess profits arising in each jurisdiction where they operate. On December 15, 2022, the European Council approved its directive to implement Pillar Two of the GloBE rules regarding a 15% global minimum tax rate. Japan and South Korea have enacted domestic Pillar Two legislation, and many other countries, including the UK, Switzerland, Ireland and Germany, have released draft legislation or publicly announced their plans to introduce legislation based on the OECD Model Rules. Many aspects of Pillar Two will be effective for tax years beginning in January 2024, with certain remaining impacts to be effective in 2025. Based on current legislation and available guidance, we have evaluated the impact of Pillar Two and determined there is no impact to the company. As Pillar Two legislation evolves and countries enact new legislation, we will continue to evaluate Pillar Two and Pillar Two may increase our future effective tax rate. 24 24

Our future effective tax rate could be affected by changes in tax laws and regulations or their interpretation, changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, or changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities. In addition, we evaluate our deferred income tax assets and record a valuation allowance if it is “more likely than not” that all or a portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. If the actual amount of our future taxable income is less than the amount we are currently projecting with respect to specific tax jurisdictions, or if there is a change in the time period within which the deferred tax asset becomes deductible, we could be required to record a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. The recording of a valuation allowance would result in an increase in our effective tax rate and would have an adverse effect on our operating results. In addition, changes in statutory tax rates may change our deferred tax assets or liability balances, which would also impact our effective tax rate.

Factors that can affect demand include competitors’ products, advertising and pricing actions, inflationary pressures, rates of unemployment, consumer confidence, health care costs, including increased costs as a result of changes in federal regulations, significant shifts in government policies, the deterioration of economic or trade relations between countries or regions, commodity costs, fuel and other energy costs and other economic factors affecting consumer spending behavior, including gasoline and home heating oil pricing, reduced unemployment benefits in periods of high unemployment, restrictions on travel and access to public spaces, and changes in tax policies, other effects of governmental shutdowns or a lapse of appropriations or fear of exposure to or actual impacts of a widespread disease outbreak. In particular, we derive a substantial percentage of our revenues from sales of laundry detergent, and the continued customer demand for these products are critical to our future success. Some products have seen decreasing demand in recent years, including condoms, as a result of demographic and other changes. We believe that inflation and recessionary concerns are continuing to drive a decline in consumer spending for our most discretionary brands, Waterpik and Flawless, as consumers reduce spending in these categories and shift to lower cost alternatives. Most notably, a growing number of water flosser consumers are continuing to switch to competitors' value-branded products. Moreover, in our vitamin business, we are experiencing residual impacts from previous vitamin-specific supply chain challenges that resulted in increased shelf space and/ or display for certain of our competitors. In addition, our Specialty Products business has been negatively impacted by the return of foreign competition in the United States dairy market. An increasing number of our products are more discretionary in nature and, therefore are more likely to be affected by consumer decisions to control spending.

Factors that can affect demand include competitors’ products, advertising and pricing actions, inflationary pressures, rates of unemployment, consumer confidence, health care costs, including increased costs as a result of changes in federal regulations, significant shifts in government policies, the deterioration of economic or trade relations between countries or regions, commodity costs, fuel and other energy costs and other economic factors affecting consumer spending behavior, including gasoline and home heating oil pricing, reduced unemployment benefits in periods of high unemployment, restrictions on travel and access to public spaces, and changes in tax policies, other effects of governmental shutdowns or a lapse of appropriations or fear of exposure to or actual impacts of a widespread disease outbreak. In particular, we derive a substantial percentage of our revenues from sales of laundry detergent, and the continued customer demand for these 17 products are critical to our future success. Some products have seen decreasing demand in recent years, including condoms, as a result of demographic and other changes. Recently we have experienced a decline in consumer spending for our most discretionary brands, primarily WATERPIK and FINISHING TOUCH FLAWLESS. In addition, our WATERPIK brand has also been impacted by a consumer shift to lower cost alternatives due primarily to inflationary pressures and recessionary concerns. Most notably, a growing number of water flosser consumers are continuing to switch to competitors' value-branded products. Moreover, in the vitamin category there continues to be a softening of growth from record high levels during the COVID-19 pandemic and significant product competition coming from new category entrants. Additionally, if our vitamin fill rates (that is, the percentage of customer orders we are able to timely fulfill) continue to be below historical levels, we are vulnerable to retail customers limiting distribution of our vitamin products and consumers shifting their loyalty to competitors’ products. Also, our Passport Food Safety business has experienced sales and profit declines due to decreased demand driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and pressures from new competitive activities resulting from the loss of exclusivity on a key product line. While the vitamins category saw an increase in demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, that demand has waned with the decreased prevalence of COVID-19 infections. However, demand for these products has typically increased during winter months when consumers have increased rates of flu and cold infection, and the continuing prevalence of increased social distancing and flu vaccination rates may have a negative impact on this seasonal performance. An increasing number of our products are more discretionary in nature and, therefore are more likely to be affected by consumer decisions to control spending.