Summary of PC MALL INC - Yahoo! Finance

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations together with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this report, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 filed with the SEC on March 16, 2009, as amended and filed on April 30, 2009, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2009 and June 30, 2009 filed with the SEC on May 11, 2009 and August 10, 2009, respectively, and all of our other periodic filings, including Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC after the end of our 2008 fiscal year and through the date of this report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those described under "Forward-Looking Statements" below and under "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of Part II, and elsewhere in this report.

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

PC Mall, Inc., together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively referred to as "PC Mall," "we" or "us"), founded in 1987, is a value added direct marketer of technology products, services and solutions to businesses, government and educational institutions and individual consumers. We offer our products, services and solutions through dedicated account executives, various direct marketing techniques and three retail stores. We also utilize distinctive full-color catalogs under the PC Mall, MacMall, PC Mall Gov and SARCOM brands and our websites pcmall.com, macmall.com, pcmallgov.com, gmri.com, sarcom.com, abreon.com, onsale.com and clubmac.com and other promotional materials.

PC Mall also plays a valuable role in the IT supply chain. While we provide comprehensive solutions for our customers' technology needs, our business model also provides significant leverage to technology manufacturers. Through us, technology manufacturers are able to reach multiple customer segments including consumers, small and medium sized businesses, large enterprise businesses, as well as state, local and federal governments and educational institutions. Our model also facilitates an efficient supply chain and support mechanism for manufacturers by using a combination of direct marketing, centralized selling and support and centralized product fulfillment. Additionally, while our experience and expertise in marketing and ecommerce allows us to efficiently reach and capture customers across all segments, our scale and centralized model allow us to efficiently deploy a one-to-many selling and delivery model.

We have four operating segments for financial reporting purposes, consisting of SMB, MME, Public Sector and Consumer. Our operating segments are primarily aligned based upon their respective customer base. We include corporate related expenses such as legal, accounting, information technology, product management and other administrative costs that are not otherwise included in our operating segments in Corporate and Other. We allocate our resources to and evaluate the performance of our operating segments based on operating income.

We experience some seasonal trends in our sales of technology products, services and solutions to businesses, government and educational institutions and individual customers. General economic conditions have an effect on our business and results of operations across all of our segments and the timing of capital budget authorizations, fiscal year ends of Public Sector customers and consumer holiday spending contribute to variances in our quarterly results. As such, the results of interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full year.

Management regularly reviews our operating performance using a variety of financial and non-financial metrics including sales, shipments, gross margin, vendor consideration, advertising expense, personnel costs, account executive productivity, accounts receivable aging, inventory turnover, liquidity and cash resources. Our management monitors the various metrics against goals and budgets and makes necessary adjustments intended to enhance our performance.

A substantial portion of our business is dependent on sales of products from Apple, HP and other vendors including Adobe, Cisco, Ingram Micro, Lenovo, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and Tech Data. Products manufactured by Apple represented approximately 16% and 15% of our net sales in the three months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008 and approximately 17% and 18% of our net sales in the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008. Products manufactured by HP represented approximately 20% and 19% of our net sales in the three months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008 and approximately 19% of our net sales in each of the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008.

STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTS

ERP and Web Infrastructure Upgrade

We are currently upgrading many of our IT systems. We have purchased licenses for workflow software, web development tools and Microsoft Dynamics AX (Axapta) to upgrade our ERP systems. As of September 30, 2009, based on our current estimates, which are subject to change, we expect to incur additional external costs of approximately $4.2 million between now and the end of 2010 related to the implementation of the ERP systems and other extensions that are necessary to replace and upgrade our current ERP and eCommerce systems.

Infrastructure Upgrade

In July 2008, we entered into an agreement with Cisco Systems for the purchase and implementation of various solutions to upgrade our current infrastructure for up to approximately $4.0 million. The purchase is financed through a capital lease with Cisco Systems Capital Corporation over a five year term. Our plan is to provide a unified platform for our entire company and to provide a robust and efficient contact center. As of September 30, 2009, we have received $3.1 million of the Cisco equipment. We expect to receive the remainder of the equipment and services in the remainder of 2009. We are implementing the Cisco solution across all of our locations and expect that all of our locations will be upgraded by the second half of 2010.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, net sales and expenses, as well as the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Management bases its estimates, judgments and assumptions on historical experience and on various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results reported for future periods may be affected by changes in those estimates and revisions to estimates are included in our results for the period in which the actual amounts become known.

Management considers an accounting estimate to be critical if:

† it requires assumptions to be made that were uncertain at the time the estimate was made; and

† changes in the estimate or different estimates that could have been selected could have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations or financial position.

Management has discussed the development and selection of these critical accounting policies and estimates with the audit committee of our board of directors. We believe the critical accounting policies described below affect the more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. For a summary of our significant accounting policies, including those discussed below, see Note 2 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8, Part II, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 filed with the SEC on March 16, 2009, as amended and filed on April 30, 2009.

In June 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued FASB Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 105-10-05 (formerly Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS") No. 168, "The FASB Accounting Standards Codification and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, a replacement of FASB Statement No. 162"). ASC 105-10-05 establishes that the FASB ASC will become the source of authoritative generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") recognized by the FASB to be applied by nongovernmental entities. Rules and interpretive releases of the SEC under authority of federal securities laws are also sources of authoritative GAAP for SEC registrants. ASC 105-10-05 is not intended to change existing GAAP and as such, it will not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. We adopted ASC 105-10-05 effective on July 1, 2009 and we have replaced references to legacy GAAP with references to the ASC, where appropriate.

Revenue Recognition. We adhere to the revised guidelines and principles of sales recognition described in ASC 605 (formerly Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104, "Revenue Recognition," issued by the staff of the SEC as a revision to Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 101, "Revenue Recognition." Under ASC 605, product sales are recognized when the title and risk

of loss are passed to the customer, there is persuasive evidence of an arrangement for sale, delivery has occurred and/or services have been rendered, the sales price is fixed and determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. Under these guidelines, the majority of our sales, including revenue from product sales and gross outbound shipping and handling charges, are recognized upon receipt of the product by the customer. In accordance with our revenue recognition policy, we perform an analysis to estimate the number of days products we have shipped are in transit to our customers using data from our third party carriers and other factors. We record an adjustment to reverse the impact of sale transactions based on the estimated value of products that have shipped, but have not yet been received by our customers, and we recognize such amounts in the subsequent period when delivery has occurred. Changes in delivery patterns or unforeseen shipping delays beyond our control could have a material impact on our revenue recognition for the current period.

For all product sales shipped directly from suppliers to customers, we take title to the products sold upon shipment, bear credit risk, and bear inventory risk for returned products that are not successfully returned to suppliers; therefore, these revenues are recognized at gross sales amounts.

Certain software products and extended warranties that we sell (for which we are not the primary obligor) are recognized on a net basis in accordance with ASC 605-45 (formerly Emerging Issues Task Force ("EITF") Issue No. 99-19, "Reporting Revenue Gross as a Principal versus Net as an Agent)." Accordingly, such revenues are recognized in net sales either at the time of sale or over the contract period, based on the nature of the contract, at the net amount retained by us, with no cost of goods sold.

Sales are reported net of estimated returns and allowances, discounts, mail-in rebate redemptions and credit card chargebacks. If the actual sales returns, allowances, discounts, mail-in rebate redemptions or credit card chargebacks are greater than estimated by management, additional expense may be incurred.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable. We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts receivable based upon estimates of future collection. We extend credit to our customers based upon an evaluation of each customer's financial condition and credit history, and generally do not require collateral. We regularly evaluate our customers' financial condition and credit history in determining the adequacy of our allowance for doubtful accounts. We also maintain an allowance for uncollectible vendor receivables, which arise from vendor rebate programs, price protections and other promotions. We determine the sufficiency of the vendor receivable allowance based upon various factors, including payment history. Amounts received from vendors may vary from amounts recorded because of potential non-compliance with certain elements of vendor programs. If the estimated allowance for uncollectible accounts or vendor receivables subsequently proves to be insufficient, additional allowance may be required.

Reserve for Inventory Obsolescence. We maintain an allowance for the valuation of our inventory by estimating obsolete or unmarketable inventory based on the difference between inventory cost and market value, which is determined by general market conditions, nature, age and type of each product and assumptions about future demand. We regularly evaluate the adequacy of our inventory reserve. If our inventory reserve subsequently proves to be insufficient, additional allowance may be required.

Mail-In Rebate Redemption Rate Estimates. We accrue monthly expense related to promotional mail-in rebates based upon the quantity of eligible orders transacted during the period and the estimated redemption rate. The estimated expense is accrued and presented as a reduction of net sales. The estimated redemption rates used to calculate the accrued mail-in rebate expense and related mail-in rebate liability are based upon historical redemption experience rates for similar products or mail-in rebate amounts. Estimated redemption rates and the related mail-in rebate expense and liability are regularly adjusted as actual mail-in rebate redemptions for the program are processed. If actual redemption rates are greater than anticipated, additional expense may be incurred.

Advertising Costs and Vendor Consideration. We account for advertising costs in accordance with ASC 340-20 (formerly Statement of Position No. 93-7, "Reporting on Advertising Costs"). We produce and circulate direct response catalogs at various dates throughout the year. The costs of developing, producing and circulating each direct response catalog are deferred and amortized to advertising expense based on the life of the catalog, which is approximately eight weeks. Other non-catalog advertising expenditures are expensed in the period incurred. Advertising expenditures are included in "Selling, general and administrative expenses" in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. Deferred advertising costs are included in "Prepaid expenses and other current assets" in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

As we circulate catalogs throughout the year, we receive market development funds and other vendor consideration from vendors included in each catalog. These funds are deferred and recognized based on sales generated over the life of the catalog. Deferred vendor consideration is included in "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" in our Consolidated

Balance Sheets. We also receive other non-catalog related vendor consideration from our vendors in the form of cooperative marketing allowances, volume incentive rebates and other programs to support our marketing of their products. Most of our vendor consideration is accrued, when performance required for recognition is completed, as an offset to cost of sales in accordance with ASC 605-50 (formerly EITF 02-16, "Accounting by a Customer (Including a Reseller) for Certain Consideration Received from a Vendor") since such funds are not a reimbursement of specific, incremental, identifiable costs incurred by us in selling the vendors' products. At the end of any given period, unbilled receivables related to our vendor consideration are included in our "Accounts receivable, net of allowances."

Stock-Based Compensation. Since January 1, 2006, we have accounted for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718 (formerly Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 123 (revised 2004), "Share-Based Payment"), using the modified prospective application transition method. ASC 718 addresses the accounting for share-based payment transactions in which an enterprise receives employee services in exchange for either equity instruments of the enterprise or liabilities that are based on the fair value of the enterprise's equity instruments or that may be settled by the issuance of such equity instruments. ASC 718 generally requires that such transactions be accounted for using a fair value based method and recognized as expenses in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. The provisions of ASC 718 apply to new stock option grants subsequent to December 31, 2005 and unvested stock options outstanding as of January 1, 2006.

Pursuant to ASC 718, we estimate the grant date fair value of each stock option grant awarded pursuant to ASC 718 using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and management assumptions made regarding various factors, including expected volatility of our common stock, expected life of options granted and estimated forfeiture rates, which require extensive use of accounting judgment and financial estimates. In estimating our assumption regarding expected term for options we granted, we applied the simplified method set out in ASC 718 (which also includes former SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107 which was issued in March 2005). We compute expected term based upon an analysis of historical exercises of stock options by our employees. We compute our expected volatility using a frequency of weekly historical prices of our common stock for a period equal to the expected term of the options. The risk free interest rate is determined using the implied yield on U.S. Treasury issues with a remaining term within the contractual life of the award. We estimate an annual forfeiture rate based on our historical forfeiture data, which rate will be revised, if necessary, in future periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Any material change in the estimates used in calculating the stock-based compensation expense could result in a material impact on our results of operations.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets. Goodwill is carried at historical costs, subject to write-down, as needed, based upon an impairment analysis that we perform annually, or sooner if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not result in an impairment loss. We perform our annual impairment test for goodwill as of December 31 of each year. Under ASC 350 (formerly SFAS No. 142, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets"), goodwill impairment is deemed to exist if the net book value of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value. Events that may create an impairment review include, but are not limited to, significant and sustained decline in our stock price or market capitalization, significant underperformance of operating units and significant changes in market conditions. Changes in estimates of future cash flows or changes in market values could result in a write-down of our goodwill in a future period. If an impairment loss results from the annual impairment test, such loss will be recorded as a pre-tax charge to our operating income. We amortize other intangible assets with definite lives generally on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Consolidated Statements of Operations Data

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, our Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands, unaudited) and information derived from our Consolidated Statements of Operations expressed as a percentage of net sales. There can be no assurance that trends in our net sales, gross profit or operating results will continue in the future.