Camping World Holdings (CWH) Risk Analysis

Our operations are subject to varying degrees of federal, state and local regulation, including our RV sales, RV financing, outbound telemarketing, direct mail, roadside assistance programs, insurance activities, and the sale of extended service contracts. New regulatory efforts may be proposed from time to time that have a material adverse effect on our ability to operate our businesses or our results of operations. For example, in the past a principal source of leads for our direct response marketing efforts was new vehicle registrations provided by motor vehicle departments in various states. Currently, all states restrict access to motor vehicle registration information. We receive, store, handle, transmit, use, and otherwise process information that relates to individuals and/or constitutes "personal data," "personal information," "personally identifiable information," or similar terms under applicable data privacy laws (collectively, "Personal Information"), as well as Personal Information from and about actual and prospective customers, club members, associates, employees, suppliers and service providers and proprietary information belonging to our business or to our business partners (collectively, "Confidential Information"). We also depend on a number of third party vendors in relation to the operation of our business, a number of which process Confidential Information on our behalf. We, and our vendors, are subject to a number of laws, regulations, industry standards, and other requirements relating to consumer protection, information security and, data protection and privacy, including those that apply generally to the handling of Confidential Information about individuals, and those that are specific to certain industries, sectors, contexts, or locations. Many of these laws and regulations are still evolving and could be interpreted in ways that could harm our business or limit the services we are able to offer. For example, the Federal Trade Commission and state regulators enforce a variety of data privacy issues, such as promises made in privacy policies or failures to appropriately protect information about individuals, as unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act or similar state laws. Moreover, certain states in the United States and most countries have adopted privacy and security laws that apply to our business. These laws generally require companies to implement specific privacy and information security controls and legal protections to protect certain types of Personal Information and to collect or use it subject to disclosures. Additional compliance investment and potential business process changes may continue to be required as these laws and others go into effect. Further, in order to comply with the varying state laws around data breaches, we must maintain adequate security measures, which require significant investments in resources and ongoing attention. Further, laws, regulations, and standards covering marketing, advertising, and other activities conducted by telephone, email, mobile devices, and the internet may be or become applicable to our business, such as the Federal Communications Act, the Federal Wiretap Act, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003, and similar state consumer protection and communication privacy laws, such as California's Invasion of Privacy Act. Additionally, we may be considered a "financial institution" under the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act (the "GLBA"). The GLBA regulates, among other things, the use of certain information about individuals ("non-public personal information") in the context of the provision of financial services, including by banks and other financial institutions. The GLBA includes both a "Privacy Rule," which imposes obligations on financial institutions relating to the use or disclosure of non-public personal information, and a "safeguards rule," which imposes obligations on financial institutions and, indirectly, their service providers to implement and maintain physical, administrative and technological measures to protect the security of non-public personal financial information. Any failure to comply with the GLBA could result in substantial financial penalties. Even though we believe we and our vendors are generally in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations relating to privacy and data security, these laws are in some cases relatively new and the interpretation and application of these laws are uncertain. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with data privacy laws, rules, regulations, industry standards and other requirements could result in proceedings or actions against us by individuals, consumer rights groups, governmental agencies, or others. We could incur significant costs in investigating and defending such claims and, if found liable, pay significant damages or fines or be required to make changes to our business. Further, these proceedings and any subsequent adverse outcomes may subject us to significant negative publicity and an erosion of trust. If any of these events were to occur, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. We are also subject to federal and numerous state consumer protection and unfair trade practice laws and regulations relating to the sale, transportation and marketing of motor vehicles, including so-called "lemon laws." Federal, state and local laws and regulations also impose upon vehicle operators various restrictions on the length and width of motor vehicles that may be operated in certain jurisdictions or on certain roadways. Certain jurisdictions also prohibit the sale of vehicles exceeding length restrictions. Federal and state authorities also have various environmental control standards relating to air, water, noise pollution and hazardous waste generation and disposal which affect our business and operations. We and the RVs we sell are subject to environmental regulations that may adversely impact us. For example, regulations passed in December 2021 by the CARB will prohibit the sale of gas-powered generators in California beginning in 2028. Additionally, CARB approved the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation in March 2021, which places requirements on RV manufacturers that are expected to prevent many new diesel RV models from being sold in states that have adopted the regulation beginning with the 2024 model year. See Item 1A, "Risk Factors ? Fuel shortages, high prices for fuel, or changes in energy sources could have a negative effect on our business." for additional information on these regulations and recent executive orders impacting such regulations. We may not have offerings available to satisfy any such requirements or such alternative energy sources could be less desirable to our customers or result in reduced towing capacity, which may reduce demand or lower margins and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. Our business is also affected by other laws and regulations including, but not limited to, labor (including federal and state minimum wage and overtime requirements), advertising, real estate, promotions, quality of services, intellectual property, tax, import and export, anti-corruption, anti-competition, environmental, health and safety. Furthermore, our property and casualty insurance programs, and our extended service contracts that we offer through third-party insurance carriers are subject to various federal and state laws and regulations governing the business of insurance, including, without limitation, laws and regulations governing the administration, underwriting, marketing, solicitation, liability obligations or sale of insurance programs. Any failure by us or our third-party insurance providers to comply with current licensing and approval requirements could result in such regulators denying their initial or renewal applications for such licenses, modifying the terms of licenses or revoking licenses that they currently possess, which could severely inhibit our ability to market these products. Additionally, certain state laws and regulations govern the form and content of certain disclosures that must be made in connection with the sale, advertising or offer of any insurance program to a consumer. If we fail to comply with these regulations, we may be ordered to pay fines or penalties by regulators or to discontinue certain products. We offer extended service contracts and gap insurance that may be purchased as a supplement to the original purchaser's warranty. These products are subject to complex federal and state laws and regulations. There can be no assurance that regulatory authorities in the jurisdictions in which these products are offered will not seek to regulate or restrict these products. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including with respect to the transfer of administration and liability obligations associated with these extended service contracts to a third party upon purchase by the customer, could result in fines or other penalties including orders by state regulators to discontinue sales of the warranty products in one or more jurisdictions. Such a result could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. State dealer laws generally provide that a manufacturer may not terminate or refuse to renew a dealer agreement unless it has first provided the dealer with written notice setting forth good cause and stating the grounds for termination or non-renewal. If such dealer laws are repealed in the states in which we operate, manufacturers may be able to terminate our dealer agreements without providing advance notice, an opportunity to cure or a showing of good cause. Without the protection of state dealer laws, it may also be more difficult for our dealerships to renew their dealer agreements upon expiration. Several states currently have laws in effect that are similar to, and in certain cases, more restrictive than, these federal laws. Compliance with these regulations is costly and time-consuming. Inadvertent violation of any of these regulations could cause us to incur fines and penalties and may also lead to restrictions on our ability to manufacture and sell our products and services and to import or export the products we sell. We have instituted various and comprehensive policies and procedures to address compliance. However, there can be no assurance that we or our employees, contractors, vendors or our agents will not violate such laws and regulations or our policies and procedures. Compliance with these laws and others may be onerous and costly, at times, and may be inconsistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction which further complicates compliance efforts. The Company is subject to litigation related to these laws and others and has experienced an increase in wage and hour litigation. Any non-compliance with these laws and others could lead to further litigation or fines, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. For more information on the various regulations applicable to our business, see "Item I. Business-Laws and Regulations" under Part I of this Form 10-K.

Our operations involve the use, handling, storage and contracting for recycling and/or disposal/discharge of materials such as motor oil and filters, transmission fluids, antifreeze, refrigerants, paints, thinners, batteries, cleaning products, lubricants, degreasing agents, tires and propane. Consequently, our business is subject to a complex variety of federal, state and local requirements that regulate the environment, public health and safety, and we may incur significant costs to comply with such requirements, which costs may increase if existing laws and regulations are revised or reinterpreted or if new laws and regulations become applicable to our operations. Certain of our operations may also require permits or other approvals, which may delay our ability to execute on portions of our business strategy. Our failure to comply with these regulations could cause us to become subject to fines and penalties or otherwise have an adverse impact on our business. In addition, we indemnify certain of our landlords for any hazardous waste which may be found on or about property we lease that may become the subject of a claim arising during or after our lease term. Certain environmental laws impose liability on us, as the owner or operator, for environmental contamination at our properties without regard to whether we knew of or caused the contamination or the legality of the release or disposal action at the time of its occurrence. If any such hazardous waste were to be found on property that we occupy, a claim giving rise to our liability could have a negative effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The markets for services, protection plans, products and resources targeting RV owners and enthusiasts are highly fragmented and competitive. Major competitive factors that drive the RV, outdoor and active sports markets are price, product and service features, technology, performance, reliability, quality, availability, variety, delivery and customer service. We compete directly or indirectly with the following types of companies: - other RV dealers selling new and used RVs;- major national insurance and warranty companies, providers of roadside assistance and providers of extended vehicle service contracts;- multi-channel retailers and mass merchandisers, warehouse clubs, discount stores, department stores and other retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Target and Amazon;- online retailers; and - independent, local specialty stores. Additional competitors may enter the businesses in which we currently operate. Moreover, some of our mass merchandising competitors do not currently compete in many of the product categories we offer, but may choose to offer a broader array of competing products in the future. Some of our competitors may build new stores in or near our existing locations and certain RV and accessory manufacturers may choose to expand their direct to consumer offerings. In addition, an increase in the number of aggregator and price comparison sites for insurance products may negatively impact our sales of these products. If any of our competitors successfully provides a broader, more efficient or attractive combination of services, protection plans, products and resources to our target customers, our business results could be materially adversely affected. Our inability to compete effectively with existing or potential competitors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our success depends on the value and strength of our key brands, including Good Sam and Camping World. These brands are integral to our business as well as to the implementation of our strategies for expanding our business. Maintaining, enhancing, promoting and positioning our brands, particularly in new markets where we have limited brand recognition, will depend largely on the success of our marketing and merchandising efforts and our ability to provide high quality services, protection plans, products and resources and a consistent, high quality customer experience. Our brands could be adversely affected if we fail to achieve these objectives, if we fail to comply with local laws and regulations, if we are subject to publicized litigation or if our public image or reputation were to be tarnished by negative publicity. Some of these risks may be beyond our ability to control, such as the effects of negative publicity regarding our manufacturers, suppliers or third-party providers of services or negative publicity related to members of management. Any of these events could result in decreases in revenues. Further, maintaining, enhancing, promoting and positioning our brands' image may require us to make substantial investments, which could adversely affect our cash flow, and which may ultimately be unsuccessful. These factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Thor Industries, Inc. and Forest River, Inc. supplied approximately 61.4% and 30.2%, respectively, of our new RV inventory as of December 31, 2024. We depend on our manufacturers to provide us with products that compare favorably with competing products in terms of quality, performance, safety and advanced features. Any adverse change in the production efficiency, product development efforts, technological advancement, marketplace acceptance, reputation, marketing capabilities or financial condition of our manufacturers, particularly Thor Industries, Inc. and Forest River, Inc., could have a substantial adverse impact on our business. Any difficulties encountered by any of these manufacturers, resulting from economic, financial, or other factors, could adversely affect the quality and amount of products that they are able to supply to us, and the services and support they provide to us. The interruption or discontinuance of the operations of Thor Industries, Inc. and Forest River, Inc. or other manufacturers could cause us to experience shortfalls, disruptions, or delays with respect to needed inventory. Although we believe that adequate alternate sources would be available that could replace any manufacturer as a product source, those alternate sources may not be available at the time of any interruption, and alternative products may not be available at comparable quality and prices. Our supply arrangements with manufacturers are typically governed by dealer agreements, which are customary in the RV industry. Our dealer agreements with manufacturers are generally made on a location-by-location basis, and each store location typically enters into multiple dealer agreements with multiple manufacturers. These dealer agreements may contain affirmative obligations that we must comply with. Our dealer agreements also generally provide for a one-year term, which is typically renewed annually. For more information on our dealer arrangements, see "Item 1. Business - Vehicle Sourcing and Dealer Arrangements" under Part I of this Form 10-K. In addition, certain of our dealer agreements contain stocking level requirements and certain of our dealer agreements contain contractual provisions concerning minimum advertised product pricing for current model year units. Wholesale pricing is generally established on a model year basis and is subject to change at the manufacturer's sole discretion. In certain cases, manufacturers have, and may continue to establish a suggested retail price, below which we cannot advertise that manufacturer's RVs. Any change, non-renewal, unfavorable renegotiation or termination of these arrangements for any reason could adversely affect product availability and cost and our financial performance.

Our success depends in part on our ability to attract, hire, train and retain qualified managerial, sales, marketing, and service personnel. Competition for these types of personnel is high. We may be unsuccessful in attracting and retaining the personnel we require to conduct our operations successfully and, in such an event, our business could be materially and adversely affected. Our success also depends to a significant extent on the continued service and performance of our senior management team, including our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Marcus A. Lemonis. The loss of any member of our senior management team, or our failure to successfully manage any retirements or transitions in senior management or the integration of senior management into new roles could impair our ability to execute our business plan and could therefore have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. For example, on June 1, 2024, Brent L. Moody, our President at the time, and Karin L. Bell, our Chief Financial Officer at the time, announced their resignations from their respective roles effective July 1, 2024, following which each transitioned to a role of Senior Advisor through their retirement dates of December 31, 2024 (for Mr. Moody) and the date that we file our Form 10-K with the SEC for the year ended December 31, 2024 (for Ms. Bell). Mr. Moody continues to serve as a member of our Board of Directors following his retirement. Effective July 1, 2024, Matthew D. Wagner was appointed as our President and will continue to serve as our principal operating officer. Additionally, effective July 1, 2024, Thomas E. Kirn was appointed as our Chief Financial Officer and principal financial officer. He will continue to serve as our principal accounting officer. Additionally, certain members of our management team, including Mr. Lemonis, currently pursue and may continue to pursue other business ventures, which could divert their attention from executing on our business plan and objectives. For example, Mr. Lemonis currently serves as the Executive Chairman of Beyond, Inc., a publicly traded company. We do not currently maintain key-man life insurance policies on any member of our senior management team or other key employees.

As a business that relies on consumer discretionary spending, we have in the past and may in the future be adversely affected if our customers reduce, delay or forego their purchases of our services, protection plans, products and resources as a result of: - job losses, lower income levels or other population and employment trends;- bankruptcies;- higher consumer debt and interest rates;- reduced access to credit;- higher energy and fuel costs;- relative or perceived cost, availability and comfort of RV use versus other modes of travel, such as air travel and rail;- falling home prices;- lower consumer confidence or discretional consumer spending;- higher inflation rates;- uncertainty or changes in tax policies and tax rates;- uncertainty or changes in import/export policies, including tariffs;- uncertainty due to national or international security concerns; or - other general economic conditions, including deflation and recessions. We also rely on our store locations to attract and retain customers and to build our customer database. If we close store locations, are unable to open new store locations, including greenfield locations and acquisitions, on the timelines we anticipate or at all due to general economic conditions or otherwise, or experience declines in customer transactions in our existing store locations due to general economic conditions or otherwise, our ability to maintain and grow our customer database and our Active Customers will be limited, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, political conditions, including new and changing laws or tariffs, regulations, executive orders and enforcement priorities, may create uncertainty about how such laws and regulations will be interpreted and applied and, consequently, may create market uncertainty. This may adversely impact customer demand, increase our costs and adversely impact our business. Decreases in Active Customers, average spend per customer, or retention and renewal rates for our Good Sam services and plans has, at times, negatively affected and could in the future negatively affect our financial performance, and a prolonged period of depressed consumer spending could have a material adverse effect on our business. For instance, our Active Customers declined in 2024. In prior years and to some extent in 2024, promotional activities and decreased demand for consumer products affected our profitability and margins, and this negative impact could return or worsen in future periods. In addition, adverse economic conditions may result in an increase in our operating expenses due to, among other things, higher costs of labor, energy, equipment and facilities, as well as higher tariffs. Due to fluctuations in the U.S. economy, our sales, operating and financial results for a particular period are difficult to predict, making it difficult to forecast results for future periods. Additionally, we are subject to economic fluctuations in local markets that may not reflect the economic conditions of the U.S. economy. Any of the foregoing factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the success of our recurring Good Sam services and plans, as well as our RV and outdoor retail business, depends, in part, on our customers' use of certain RV websites and/or the purchase of services, protection plans, products and resources through participating merchants, as well as the health of the RV industry generally. In addition, during recent periods we have faced, and may continue to face, increased competition from other businesses with similar product and service offerings. For example, our competitors have listed RVs at or below cost. As a result, we responded and may need to further respond by establishing pricing, marketing and other programs or by seeking out additional strategic alliances or acquisitions that may be less favorable to us than we could otherwise establish or obtain in more favorable economic environments. Such programs have adversely impacted our gross margin, operating margin and selling, general and administrative expenses. In addition, declines in the national economy could cause partners and/or advertising customers who participate in our programs to go out of business. Should the number of partners and/or advertising customers entering bankruptcy rise, it is likely that the number of uncollectible accounts would also rise. These factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

A portion of the products that we purchase for resale, including those purchased from domestic suppliers, is manufactured abroad in China, Mexico and other countries. In addition, we believe most of our non-RV private label merchandise is manufactured abroad. Additionally, many of our U.S.-based suppliers source some of their components from these countries, which could result in higher procurement costs from U.S.-based suppliers. In 2024, our costs applicable to revenue included the costs of directly sourced inventory from China, Mexico, and Canada of approximately $27.0 million, $10.0 million and $2.0 million, respectively. Trade tensions between the United States and China, Mexico, Canada, Russia and other countries has escalated in recent years. We may not be able to mitigate the impacts of any future tariffs or trade restrictions, and our business, results of operations and financial position would be materially adversely affected. As a result, our foreign imports, in particular imports from China and Mexico, subject us to the risks of changes in, or the imposition of new import tariffs, duties or quotas, new restrictions on imports, loss of "most favored nation" status with the United States for a particular foreign country, antidumping or countervailing duty orders, retaliatory actions in response to illegal trade practices, work stoppages, delays in shipment, trade route challenges due to global political tensions, freight expense increases, product cost increases due to foreign currency fluctuations or revaluations and economic uncertainties. If any of these or other factors were to cause a disruption of trade from the countries in which our vendors or the suppliers of our vendors are located or impose additional costs in connection with the purchase of our products, we may be unable to obtain sufficient quantities of products to satisfy our requirements and our results of operations could be adversely affected. Additionally, there are increasing expectations that companies monitor the environmental and/or social performance of their suppliers, including compliance with a variety of labor practices. There is also increased attention regarding the end of life considerations for products like ours, and we could experience increased expectations and regulations that effect our ability to sell our products. Compliance with emerging expectations and regulations can be costly, require us to establish or augment programs to diligence or monitor our suppliers, or, in the case of legislation such as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, to design supply chains to avoid certain regions altogether. To the extent that any foreign manufacturers which supply products to us directly or indirectly utilize quality control standards, labor practices or other practices that vary from those legally mandated or commonly accepted in the United States, we could be hurt by a variety of adverse impacts, including but not limited to any resulting negative publicity or, in some cases, face potential liability or a denial of import for our products.

We own a variety of registered trademarks and service marks for the names of our clubs, magazines and other publications. We also own the copyrights to certain articles in our publications. We believe that our trademarks and copyrights have significant value and are important to our marketing efforts. If we are unable to continue to protect the trademarks and service marks for our proprietary brands, if such marks become generic or if third parties adopt marks similar to our marks, our ability to differentiate our products and services may be diminished. In the event that our trademarks or service marks are successfully challenged by third parties, we could lose brand recognition and be forced to devote additional resources to advertising and marketing new brands for our products. From time to time, we may be compelled to protect our intellectual property, which may involve litigation. Such litigation may be time-consuming, expensive and distract our management from running the day-to-day operations of our business, and could result in the impairment or loss of the involved intellectual property. There is no guarantee that the steps we take to protect our intellectual property, including litigation when necessary, will be successful. The loss or reduction of any of our significant intellectual property rights could diminish our ability to distinguish our products from competitors' products and retain our market share for our proprietary products. Our inability to effectively protect our proprietary intellectual property rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Other parties also may claim that we infringe their proprietary rights. Such claims, whether or not meritorious, may result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources, injunctions against us or the payment of damages. These claims could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We depend on a variety of information technology systems for the efficient functioning of our business. We rely on certain hardware, telecommunications and software vendors to maintain and periodically upgrade many of these systems so that we can continue to support our business. Various components of our information technology systems, including hardware, networks, and software, are licensed to us by third-party vendors. We rely extensively on our information technology systems to process transactions, summarize results and manage our business. Additionally, because we accept debit and credit cards for payment, we are subject to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard ("PCI-DSS"), issued by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council. Costs and potential problems and interruptions associated with the implementation of new or upgraded systems and technology such as those necessary to maintain compliance with the PCI-DSS or with maintenance or adequate support of existing systems could also disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations (for additional discussion of risks related to PCI-DSS, see – "Disruptions or breaches involving our or our third-party providers' IT Systems or Confidential Information could interrupt our operations, compromise our reputation, expose us to litigation, government enforcement actions and costly response measures and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations"). Any material interruptions or failures in our payment-related systems could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.