Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion of financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with (i) our Consolidated Financial Statements, and notes thereto, included in Item 1 of Part I of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and (ii) our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2015.

Forward-Looking Statements

Management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations and other sections of this Quarterly Report contain forward-looking statements relating to our future results. Such forward-looking statements are identified by use of forward-looking words such as "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "estimates", "expects", and "intends" or words or phrases of similar expression. These forward-looking statements are subject to management decisions and various assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to: the potential effects of natural disasters affecting our suppliers or trading partners; the effects of labor strikes; weather conditions that may affect sales; volatility in fuel, utility, transportation and security costs; changes in global or regional political or economic conditions, including changes in governmental and central bank policies; changes in business conditions in the furniture industry, including changes in consumer spending patterns and demand for home furnishings; effects of our brand awareness and marketing programs, including changes in demand for our existing and new products; our ability to locate new design center sites and/or negotiate favorable lease terms for additional design centers or for the expansion of existing design centers; our ability to secure debt or other forms of financing; competitive factors, including changes in products or marketing efforts of others; pricing pressures; fluctuations in interest rates and the cost, availability and quality of raw materials; the effects of terrorist attacks or conflicts or wars involving the United States or its allies or trading partners; those matters discussed in Items 1A and 7A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2015 and in our SEC filings; and our future decisions. Accordingly, actual circumstances and results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements.

Critical Accounting Policies

The Company’s consolidated financial statements are based on the accounting policies used. Certain accounting polices require that estimates and assumptions be made by management for use in the preparation of the financial statements. Critical accounting policies are those that are central to the presentation of the Company’s financial condition and results and that require subjective or complex estimates by management. There have been no material changes with respect to the Company’s critical accounting policies from those disclosed in its 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on August 12, 2015.

On April 7, 2015 the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. The new standard classifies debt issuance costs as a deduction from the debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. Prior to the issuance of ASU 2015-03, these costs were classified as assets. We adopted the provisions of ASU 2015-03 beginning in July 2015 and prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. As of June 30, 2015, $0.3 million of debt issuance costs were reclassified in the consolidated balance sheet from other noncurrent assets to current portion of long-term debt and $1.0 million was reclassified from other noncurrent assets to long term debt, less current portion. The adoption of ASU 2015-03 did not impact our consolidated statements of comprehensive income, or our consolidated statements of cash flows.

Overview

We are a leading interior design company and manufacturer and retailer of quality home furnishings. Founded over 80 years ago, today we’re a leading international home fashion brand doing business in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We are vertically integrated from design through delivery, affording our clientele a value equation of style, quality and price that is unique to the industry. We offer complementary interior design service to our clients and sell a full range of furniture products and decorative accents through ethanallen.com and a network of 300 design centers in the United States and abroad. The design centers represent a mix of independent licensees and our own Company operated retail segment. We own and operate nine manufacturing plants including six manufacturing plants and one sawmill in the United States and a manufacturing plant each in Mexico and Honduras.

Our business model is to maintain continued focus on (i) getting our messages across with strong advertising and marketing campaigns, (ii) capitalizing on the strength of our interior design professionals and management in our retail design centers, (iii) utilizing ethanallen.com as a key marketing tool to drive traffic to a network of 200 North American design centers as 70% of our demographic base lives near a design center, (iii) investing in new technologies across key aspects of our vertically integrated business, and (iv) leveraging the benefits of our vertical integration by maintaining our North American manufacturing capacity where we manufacture approximately 70% of our products.

Our competitive advantages arise from:

We continue to make considerable investments to strengthen the level of service, professionalism, and interior design competence, as well as to improve the efficiency of our retail operations. We believe that over time, we will continue to benefit from (i) continuous repositioning of our retail network, (ii) frequent new product introductions, (iii) new and innovative marketing promotions and effective use of targeted advertising media, and (iv) continued use of the latest technology coupled with personal service from our interior design professionals. We believe our network of professionally trained interior design professionals differentiates us significantly from others in our industry.

Results of Operations

In the second quarter of fiscal 2016, consolidated net sales of $207.5 million increased 5.3% compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2015. During the same period, consolidated operating margin increased to 12.8% from 9.0%, and net income increased to $0.58 from $0.34 per diluted share. Beginning in the fall of 2014, we began a major transformation of our product offerings with several phases. We introduced Casual Classics during the first phase in the fall of 2014, focusing on relaxed finishes and comfort. In the spring and summer of 2015, we launched the second phase, Romantic Classics, with unique, stand-alone timeless pieces with new finishes and forms, designed specifically for manufacturing primarily at our North American workshops to obtain maximum benefit from our vertical integration. We launched the third phase in the fall of 2015, where we further developed Romantic Classics, inspired by European designs, taking inspiration from the classics and modernizing them for today’s living, with continued focus on North American manufacturing. In our fourth phase, during the spring and summer of 2016, we will further develop our Casual Classics, with romantic country influences and will also introduce several other new programs that will continue to differentiate our brand. As we implement these major product introductions, our wholesale segment undergoes some disruptions in manufacturing as we change tooling and methods, build prototypes and then ramp up production. In our retail segment, some disruption also occurs in our design centers as we update floor displays, and sell the remainder of our older products on clearance to make space for the new product. We are undergoing this product transformation in measured steps to minimize these disruptions, and preserve our reputation in the industry as a leader in quality. During this second quarter of fiscal 2016, we began a shift from transition to growth, with a 5.3% increase in consolidated net sales, with increases in both our wholesale and retail segments. The U.S. dollar continues to strengthen over the Canadian dollar, with a negative impact on sales in our retail segment.

During this second fiscal quarter, our retail segment had slightly lower gross margins due to sales promotions, product mix, clearance sales and currency fluctuation in our international operations. We anticipate continuing sales promotions and during the second half we expect continuing clearance sales as we make room for the fourth phase of the product refresh. The gross margin of our wholesale segment improved over the second quarter of fiscal 2015 as we maintained our current level of efficiency in manufacturing the newly designed products in our North American workshops, with gross profit increasing due to higher sales.

Comparing the second quarters of fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015, net sales increased by 7.5% in our retail segment, and by 8.8% in our wholesale segment. The ratio of retail segment net sales to consolidated net sales for the second quarter was 79.4% compared to 77.7%. The consolidated gross margin was 55.9% for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 and 53.8% for the second quarter of fiscal 2015, and operating expenses as a percentage of total net sales were 43.1% in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 compared to 44.9%.

Written orders booked by the retail segment in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 increased by 15.3% as compared to the same quarter of fiscal 2015, and comparable written orders increased by 14.6% in the same period. As we transition the major new product introductions, both at retail and at the manufacturing level, we are varying the timing and duration of our sale events this fiscal year, as compared to monthly promotions in the prior fiscal year. We believe that the impact of our varied promotions and the new product programs are having a positive impact on written orders. We operate five design centers in Canada, and the strengthening of the U.S. dollar to the Canadian dollar and euro resulted in an average decrease on a constant currency basis for the retail segment of 0.9% in net sales and a 1.0% decrease in written and comparable orders during the quarter ending December 31, 2015.

We measure the performance of our retail design centers based on net sales and written orders booked on a comparable period to period basis. Comparable design centers are those which have been operating for at least 15 months. Minimal net sales derived from the delivery of customer ordered product are generated during the first three months of operations of newly opened (including relocated) design centers. Design centers acquired by us from independent retailers are included in comparable design center sales in their 13th full month of Ethan Allen-owned operations. The frequency of our promotional events as well as the timing of the end of those events can impact the orders booked during a given quarter. Our international net sales are comprised of our wholesale segment sales to independent retailers and our retail segment sales to consumers through the Company operated international Design Centers. International net sales as a percent of our consolidated net sales were 8.5% for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 and 10.7% for the comparable prior year period. The following tables show selected Design Center location information.

Second Quarter Ended December 31, 2015 Compared to Second Quarter Ended December 31, 2014

Consolidated net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 increased 5.3% to $207.5 million from $197.1 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. Net sales increased in both our retail and wholesale segments.

Wholesale net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 increased 8.8% to $126.4 million from $116.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. Sales increased to both our retail segment and domestic independent dealers. This was partly offset by a reduction in international sales, primarily to our independent dealer in China, where a slowdown in the rate of economic growth has been widely reported. Since June 30, 2015 there have been five net additional independent retailer Design Centers.

Retail net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 increased 7.5% to $164.7 million from $153.2 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2015. We are now into the third phase of our new product introduction and the increased sales are reflective of the new products gaining traction and our increased marketing initiatives during the current quarter. Retail operates two less Design Centers than one year ago. We continue to be impacted by sales discounts, as well as the effect of exchange rates on our Canadian design centers. Our written business (new orders booked) in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 increased 15.3% while comparable design center written business increased 14.6% compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2015. At December 31, 2015, the retail undelivered backlog was 12.7% higher than a year ago.

Gross profit was $116.1 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2016, an increase of $10.0 million, or 9.4%, from $106.1 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015 with increases in both our retail and wholesale segments. Consolidated gross margin for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 was 55.9% compared to 53.8% in fiscal 2015. Increased wholesale sales of 8.8% increased our manufacturing efficiency, increasing gross profit and gross margins. Retail sales as a percent of total sales increased to 79.4% from 77.7%, further increasing our consolidated gross margin due to mix, and the retail sales increase of 7.5% increasing consolidated gross profit.

Operating expenses for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 increased $1.1 million, or 1.3%, to $89.6 million from $88.4 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2015. Variable costs increased due to increased sales for the retail segment, which were partly offset by gains on real estate sales in the current period and losses in the prior year period.

Operating income and profit margin for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 was $26.5 million, or 12.8% of net sales, an increase of $8.8 million, or 50.1%, from $17.7 million, or 9.0% of net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2015.

Wholesale operating income for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 was $19.7 million, or 15.6% of sales, compared to $13.2 million, or 11.3% of sales, for the second quarter of fiscal 2015, increasing largely due to higher volume of sales.

Retail operating income for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 was $6.7 million, or 4.1% of sales, compared to $3.0 million, or 1.9% of sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2015, with a higher operating margin in the current quarter driven primarily by higher sales, as well as the positive impact of real estate sales.

Interest and other related financing costs were approximately $1.5 million lower in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 than in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. The early extinguishment of our $200 million, ten year senior unsecured notes due October 1, 2015 (the “Senior Notes”) reduced the amount of interest beginning March 18, 2015. Interest expense on the Senior Notes had been $1.8 million per quarter, or 5.7% annually on the face value of the Senior Notes. Future interest expense will vary depending on variable interest rates and amounts borrowed under our five year, $150 million senior secured revolving credit and term loan facility (the “Facility”).

Income tax expense for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 totaled $9.6 million compared to $5.8 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2015. Our effective tax rate was 36.7% in both the current and prior year quarter. The effective tax rate for both the current and prior year quarters primarily include tax expense on that quarter’s net income, and tax and interest expense on uncertain tax positions, partly offset by the reversal and recognition of some uncertain tax positions.

Net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2016, was $16.5 million compared to $10.0 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2015. This resulted in net income per diluted share of $0.58 for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 compared to $0.34 per diluted share for the second quarter of fiscal 2015.

Six Months Ended December 31, 2015 Compared to Six Months Ended December 31, 2014

Consolidated net sales for the six months ended December 31, 2015 increased 2.6% to $397.9 million from $387.8 million for the six months ended December 31, 2014. Net sales increased in both our retail and wholesale segments.

Wholesale net sales for the six months ended December 31, 2015 increased 2.5% to $246.9 million from $240.8 million in the prior year comparable period. Improvements in efficiency during the second fiscal quarter more than offset first fiscal quarter disruptions caused by the first runs of new products. Seven additional independent retailer Design Centers were added during the period.

Retail net sales from the Company’s retail segment for the six months ended December 31, 2015 increased 4.2% to $310.7 million from $298.3 million for the prior year comparable period. Most of the increase occurred during this quarter. There was a net decrease of two Design Centers from one year ago. We were also negatively impacted by sales discounts, as well as the effect of exchange rates on our Canadian design centers. Our written business (new orders booked) in the first six months of fiscal 2016 increased 1.8% while comparable design center written business increased 1.2% compared to the comparable period of fiscal 2015. The timing of our annual price increase resulted in shifting some written sales into the quarter ending June 30, 2015.

Gross profit was $220.7 million for the six months ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $9.9 million, or 4.7%, from $210.9 million in the prior year comparable period with increases in both our retail and wholesale segments. Consolidated gross margin for the first six months of fiscal 2016 was 55.5% compared to 54.4% in fiscal 2015. Sales growth for both wholesale and retail segments was the primary reason for the increase, along with an increase in retail sales as a percent of total sales to 78.1% from 76.9%.

Operating expenses for the first six months of fiscal 2016 increased $0.6 million, or 0.3%, to $173.3 million from $172.7 million in the prior year comparable period, and were 43.6% of sales in the current fiscal year and 44.5% in the prior fiscal year. Expenses increased in absolute dollars due to the 2.6% increase in sales, and decreased as a percent of sales due to a real estate gain in the current period compared to losses in the prior year.

Operating income and profit margin for the first six months of fiscal 2016 was $47.4 million, or 11.9% of net sales, an increase of $9.3 million, or 24.3%, from $38.1 million, or 9.8% of net sales for the first six months of fiscal 2015.

Wholesale operating income for the six months ended December 31, 2015 was $40.3 million, or 16.3% of sales, compared to $34.7 million, or 14.4% of sales, in the prior year comparable period, increasing largely due to higher volume of sales.

Retail operating income for the six months ended December 31, 2015 was $8.3 million, or 2.7% of sales, compared to $4.7 million, or 1.6% of sales in the prior year comparable period, with a higher operating margin driven primarily by increased sales, along with a positive impact from the sale of real estate.

Interest and other related financing costs were approximately $2.9 million lower in the first six months of fiscal 2016 than in the first six months of fiscal 2015. The early extinguishment of our Senior Notes reduced the amount of interest beginning March 18, 2015. Interest expense on the Senior Notes had been $1.8 million per quarter, or 5.7% annually on the face value of the Senior Notes. Future interest expense will vary depending on variable interest rates and amounts borrowed under the Facility.

Income tax expense for the six months ended December 31, 2015 totaled $17.0 million compared to $12.7 million for the six months ended December 31, 2014. Our effective tax rate for the current fiscal year was 36.4% compared to 36.6% in the prior fiscal year. The effective tax rate for both the current and prior fiscal year primarily include tax expense on that fiscal year’s net income, and tax and interest expense on uncertain tax positions, partly offset by the reversal and recognition of some uncertain tax positions.

Net income for the six months ended December 31, 2015, was $29.7 million compared to $21.9 million in the prior year comparable period. This resulted in net income per diluted share of $1.04 for six months ended December 31, 2015 compared to $0.75 per diluted share for the six months ended December 31, 2014.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

At December 31, 2015, we held unrestricted cash and equivalents of $57.0 million and restricted cash and investments of $7.8 million. At June 30, 2015, we held unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $76.2 million, marketable securities of $2.2 million, and restricted cash and investments of $8.0 million. Our principal sources of liquidity include cash and cash equivalents, cash flow from operations, amounts available under the Facility, and other borrowings.

Total debt obligations at December 31, 2015 and June 30, 2015 consist of the following (in thousands):

In September 2005, we issued the Senior Notes. The Company entered into the Facility on October 21, 2014, as amended January 28, 2015. The Facility amended and restated the previous five-year, $50 million secured revolving credit facility in its entirety. The Facility, which expires on October 21, 2019, provides a term loan of up to $35 million and a revolving credit line of up to $115 million, subject to borrowing base availability. During March 2015, we utilized $35 million of the term loan and $40 million of the revolving credit line, along with our available cash to fully redeem our Senior Notes. We incurred financing costs of $1.5 million under the Facility, which are being amortized by the straight-line method, which approximates the interest method, over the remaining life of the Facility.

At the Company’s option, revolving loans under the Facility bear interest, based on the average availability, at an annual rate of either (a) the London Interbank Offered rate (“LIBOR”) plus 1.5% to 1.75%, or (b) the higher of (i) the prime rate, (ii) the federal funds effective rate plus 0.50%, or (iii) LIBOR plus 1.0% plus in each case 0.5% to 0.75%. At December 31, 2015 the annual interest rate in effect on the revolving loan was 1.9375%.

At the Company’s option, term loans under the Facility bear interest, based on the Company’s rent adjusted leverage ratio, at an annual rate of either (a) LIBOR plus 1.75% to 2.25%, or (b) the higher of (i) the prime rate, (ii) the federal funds effective rate plus 0.50%, or (iii) LIBOR plus 1.0% plus in each case 0.75% to 1.25%. At December 31, 2015 the annual interest rate in effect on the term loan was 2.1875%.

The Company pays a commitment fee of 0.15% to 0.25% per annum on the unused portion of the Facility, and fees on issued letters of credit at an annual rate of 1.5% to 1.75% based on the average availability. Certain payments are restricted if the availability under the revolving credit line falls below 20% of the total revolving credit line, and the Company is subject to pro forma compliance with the fixed charge coverage ratio, if applicable.

Quarterly installments of principal on the term loan are payable based on a straight line 15 year amortization period, with the balance due at maturity. The Company does not expect to repay the revolving credit line portion of the Facility within the next year.

The Facility is secured by all property owned, leased or operated by the Company in the United States and includes certain real property owned by the Company and contains customary covenants which may limit the Company’s ability to incur debt; engage in mergers and consolidations; make restricted payments (including dividends and share repurchases); sell certain assets; and make investments.

The Company must maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.1 to 1.0 at all times. If the outstanding term loans are less than $17.5 million and the fixed charge coverage ratio equals or exceeds 1.25 to 1.0, the fixed charge coverage ratio ceases to apply and thereafter shall only be triggered if average monthly availability is less than 15% of the amount of the revolving credit line. At September 30, 2015 our fixed charge coverage ratio was 1.4 to 1.0. During November 2015, we made a $16.5 million prepayment on the term loan, bringing the outstanding term loan to $17.3 million, and the fixed charge coverage ratio ceased to apply. Our average availability during the quarter ended December 31, 2015 was 65.0%.

The Company intends to use the Facility for working capital and general corporate purposes, including dividend payments and share repurchases, in addition to the refinancing of our Senior Notes which occurred in March 2015. At both December 31, 2015 and June 30, 2015, there was $0.2 million of standby letters of credit outstanding under the Facility and total availability under the Facility of $74.8 million.

At both December 31, 2015 and June 30, 2015, we were in compliance with all of the covenants under the Facility.

We remain in discussions with our bankers on enhancing our capital structure and alternatives to raise up to $250 million in long-term debt financing. The funds would be utilized for our general corporate needs and to further increase shareholder returns. However, there can be no assurances that the financing will be completed, as it is subject to market and other customary conditions.

A summary of net cash provided by (used in) operating, investing, and financing activities for the six months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 is provided below (in millions):

Operating Activities

In the first six months of fiscal 2016, cash of $21.0 million was provided by operating activities, an increase of $10.6 million from the prior year comparable period. This was largely due to an increase in net income as well as less cash used in fiscal year 2016 for working capital in the ordinary course of business (primarily prepaid and other current assets and timing of payments on trade payables offset by accrued expenses), as well as changes to other working capital items (defined below). Working capital items consist of current assets (accounts receivable, inventories, prepaid and other current assets) less current liabilities (customer deposits, payables, and accrued expenses and other current liabilities).

Investing Activities

In the first six months of fiscal 2016, $3.1 million of cash was used in investing activities, whereas $4.3 million less cash was used in the prior year comparable period. Less cash was provided in the first six months of fiscal 2016 primarily due to decreases in net sales of marketable securities in the current fiscal year as well as less proceeds from the sale of real estate in the current fiscal year than in the prior fiscal year, partly offset by decreased current fiscal year capital expenditures. We anticipate that cash from operations will be sufficient to fund future capital expenditures.

Financing Activities

In the first six months of fiscal 2016, $36.8 million was used in financing activities, which is $29.3 million more cash used than was used during the first six months of fiscal 2015. This was due to a $16.5 million prepayment on the term loan, repurchasing $11.4 million of our common stock and an increase of $1.6 million in our dividend payments. Two quarterly dividends were paid in the first six months of fiscal 2016 with an increase of 27.3% over the prior fiscal year. The Company has continuously paid dividends for every quarter since 1996 and we expect to continue to do so as economic conditions and liquidity permit.

Our total debt obligations at December 31, 2015 consist of the following (in millions):

The following table summarizes, as of December 31, 2015, the timing of cash payments related to our outstanding long-term debt obligations for the remaining six months of fiscal 2016, and each of the five fiscal years subsequent to June 30, 2016, and thereafter (in millions).

There has been no material change to the amount or timing of cash payments related to our outstanding contractual obligations as set forth in Part II, Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2015 as filed with the SEC on August 12, 2015.

We believe that our cash flow from operations, together with our other available sources of liquidity including the Facility and refinancing alternatives, will be adequate to make all required payments of principal and interest on our debt, to permit anticipated capital expenditures, and to fund working capital and other cash requirements. As of December 31, 2015, we had working capital of $128.0 million compared to $130.0 million at June 30, 2015, a decrease of $2.0 million, or 1.5%. The Company had a current ratio of 2.06 to 1 at December 31, 2015 and 1.92 to 1 at June 30, 2015.

In addition to using available cash to fund changes in working capital, capital expenditures, acquisition activity, the repayment of debt, the payment of dividends, and debt repurchases, we have been authorized by our Board of Directors to repurchase shares of our common stock from time to time, either directly or through agents, in the open market at prices and on terms satisfactory to us. All of our common stock repurchases and retirements are recorded as treasury stock and result in a reduction of shareholders’ equity. During the six months ending December 31, 2015 we repurchased the following shares of our common stock:

At December 31, 2015, we had a remaining Board authorization to repurchase 2,014,330 shares of our common stock.

ETHAN ALLEN INTERIORS INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Other Commitments, Contingencies and Contractual Obligations

We do not utilize or employ any off-balance sheet arrangements, including special-purpose entities, in operating our business. As such, we do not maintain any (i) retained or contingent interests, (ii) derivative instruments (other than as specified below), or (iii) variable interests which could serve as a source of potential risk to our future liquidity, capital resources and results of operations.

We may, from time to time in the ordinary course of business, provide guarantees on behalf of selected affiliated entities or become contractually obligated to perform in accordance with the terms and conditions of certain business agreements. The nature and extent of these guarantees and obligations may vary based on our underlying relationship with the benefiting party and the business purpose for which the guarantee or obligation is being provided. The only such program in place both at December 31, 2015 and June 30, 2015 was for our consumer credit program.

Ethan Allen Consumer Credit Program

The terms and conditions of our consumer credit program, which is financed and administered by a third-party financial institution on a non-recourse basis to Ethan Allen, are set forth in an agreement between the Company and that financial service provider (the “Program Agreement”) which was last amended effective January 2014. Any independent retailer choosing to participate in the consumer credit program is required to enter into a separate agreement with that same third-party financial institution which sets forth the terms and conditions under which the retailer is to perform in connection with its offering of consumer credit to its customers (the “Retailer Agreement”). We have obligated ourselves on behalf of any independent retailer choosing to participate in our consumer credit program by agreeing, in the event of default, breach, or failure of the independent retailer to perform under such Retailer Agreement, to take on certain responsibilities of the independent retailer, including, but not limited to, delivery of goods and reimbursement of customer deposits. Customer receivables originated by independent retailers remain non-recourse to Ethan Allen. The term of the Program Agreement ends July 31, 2019, including a provision for automatic one year renewals unless either party gives notice of termination. While the maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted) that we could be required to make under this obligation is indeterminable, recourse provisions exist that would enable us to recover, from the independent retailer, any amount paid or incurred by us related to our performance. Based on the underlying creditworthiness of our independent retailers, including their historical ability to satisfactorily perform in connection with the terms of our consumer credit program, we believe this obligation will expire without requiring funding by us. To ensure funding for delivery of products sold, the terms of the Program Agreement also contain a right for the financial services provider to demand from the Company collateral at a variable rate based on the volume of program sales if the Company does not meet certain covenants. At December 31, 2015 and June 30, 2015, no collateral was required under the Program Agreement.

Product Warranties

Our products, including our case goods, upholstery and home accents, generally carry explicit product warranties that extend from one to ten years and are provided based on terms that are generally accepted in the industry. All of our domestic independent retailers are required to enter into and perform in accordance with the terms and conditions of a warranty service agreement. We record provisions for estimated warranty and other related costs at time of sale based on historical warranty loss experience and make periodic adjustments to those provisions to reflect actual experience. On rare occasions, certain warranty and other related claims involve matters of dispute that ultimately are resolved by negotiation, arbitration or litigation. In certain cases, a material warranty issue may arise which is beyond the scope of our historical experience. We provide for such warranty issues as they become known and are deemed both probable and estimable. It is reasonably possible that, from time to time, additional warranty and other related claims could arise from disputes or other matters beyond the scope of our historical experience. As of December 31, 2015 and June 30, 2015, our product warranty liability totaled $1.1 million and $1.0 million, respectively.

Business Outlook

We continue to strengthen our vertically integrated structure from concept of idea, to engineering, to manufacturing, to retail and logistics. On the manufacturing side, our objective is to maintain strong manufacturing capabilities in North America, which we believe is a long-term competitive advantage that will allow us to advance our objectives of maintaining short order times, exceptional quality and improving capacity to ship custom made to order items more quickly, which in turn will allow us to grow our business. In September 2015, the Company announced the planned doubling of its upholstery manufacturing facility in Mexico, and as a result, expanded production from the expansion is projected within the next 18 to 24 months.

Beginning in fiscal 2014, we have been undergoing a major transformation of our product offerings, which will refresh over 70% of our products with the completion of phase 4 product introductions expected in the fourth quarter. We plan on completing this transition during the summer of 2016. We are anticipating that by fiscal 2017 we will be well positioned to leverage all the actions we have taken and expect to see a significant improvement in our business performance, both through increased revenues and improvements in operating efficiencies.

We expect the home furnishings industry to remain extremely competitive with respect to both the sourcing of products and the wholesale and retail sale of those products for the foreseeable future. Domestic manufacturers continue to face pricing pressures because of the lower manufacturing costs in some other countries, particularly within Asia. While we also utilize overseas sourcing on about a third of our products, we choose to differentiate ourselves by maintaining a substantial North American manufacturing base, where we can leverage our vertically integrated structure to our advantage. We continue to believe that a balanced approach to product sourcing, which includes our own North American manufacturing of about 70% of our product offerings coupled with the import of other selected products, provides the greatest degree of flexibility and is the most effective approach to ensuring that acceptable levels of quality, service and value are attained.

We therefore remain cautiously optimistic about our performance due to the many strong programs already in place and others we currently plan to introduce in the coming months. Our retail strategy involves (i) a continued focus on providing new product introductions, a wide array of product solutions, and superior interior design solutions through our large staff of interior design professionals, (ii) continuing strong advertising and marketing campaigns to get our message across and to continue broadening our customer base, (iii) the opening of new or relocated design centers in more prominent locations, and encouraging independent retailers to do the same, (iv) leveraging the use of technology and personal service within our retail network and online through ethanallen.com, and (v) further expansion internationally. We believe this strategy provides an opportunity to grow our business.