Q4 2024 RLX Technology Inc Earnings Call

Thomson Reuters StreetEvents

Sat, Mar 15, 2025, 1:22 AM 15 min read

Participants

Sam Tsang; Head of Investor Relations; RLX Technology Inc

Chao Lu; CFO; RLX Technology Inc.

Christine Peng; Analyst; UBS Group AG

Lydia Ling; Analyst; Citigroup Inc.

Yun Guo; Analyst; CITIC Securities Company Limited

Presentation

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for standing by for the RLX Technology, Inc.'s fourth quarter and full year 2024 earnings conference call. (Operator Instructions) Today's conference call is being recorded and is expected to last for about 40 minutes. I will now turn the call over to your host, Mr. Sam Tsang, Head of Capital Markets for the company.
Please go ahead, Sam.

Sam Tsang

Thank you very much. Hello, everyone, and welcome to RLX Technology's fourth quarter and full year 2024 earnings conference call. The company's financial and operational results were released through PR Newswire Services earlier today and have been made available online. You can also view the earnings press release by visiting our IR website at ir.relxtech.com. Participants on today's call will include our Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Chao Lu; and myself, Sam Tsang, Head of Capital Markets.
Before we continue, please note that today's business discussions will contain forward-looking information made under the Safe Harbor provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements typically contain words such as may, will, expect, targets, estimates, intend, belief, potential, continue or other similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves inherent risks and uncertainties.
The accuracy of these statements that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated, many of which are beyond our control. The company, its affiliates, advisers, and representatives do not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking information, except as required under the applicable law.
Please note that RLX Technology's earnings press release and this conference call include discussions of unaudited GAAP financial measures as well as unaudited non-GAAP financial measures. Our press release contains a reconciliation of the unaudited non-GAAP measures to the unaudited GAAP measures. I will now turn the call over to Mr. Chao Lu. Please go ahead.

Chao Lu

Thank you, Sam, and thank you to everyone for joining our earnings conference call today. I will start with the overview of our 2024 performance and organizational initiatives, followed by an update on our overseas market, outlook for 2025 and the details of our 2024 financial results.
2024 was a pivotal year for RLX as our first full year operating in international markets following the termination of our noncompete agreement with Relx Inc. in November 2023. Throughout the year, we focused on enhancing our organizational structure and business models to drive successful overseas initiatives while maintaining stability in the China market after entering a new regulatory framework in 2022.
As a result, we capped off strong 2024 results with our seventh consecutive quarter of sequential revenue growth, supported by our continued commitment to global expansion, and effective localized strategies catering to each region's unique user base. Our outstanding results demonstrate our business' resilience and our ability to deliver growth amid an evolving industry landscape.
Building a solid foundation for international growth was a top priority for 2024. We critically (technical difficulty) structure and strengths relative to our peers and identified key areas for improvement. Based on this review, we optimized our operational and management framework to support our long-term growth objectives.
Moreover, people remain our most valuable assets. Therefore, we have invested heavily in upgrading our team, bringing in experts in FMCG, in-house product development and regulatory compliance. Their passion for growing RLX's business and advancing the e-vapor industry has empowered us to deliver effective sustainable business models that will propel our long-term success and growth.
On the operational side, tailoring our product portfolio and business strategies to local markets was essential. We deeply analyzed local market environment and consumer behavior, then utilized our insights to develop the right products to cater specifically to the needs of each market's adult smokers.
For example, in Southeast Asia, we successfully launched two open system e-vapor product series, Relx Prime and Spin Mini in the second half of 2024. These new product series have received strong positive feedback in Southeast Asia, reinforcing our belief that localized innovation is a critical driver for long-term growth.
We also refined our route-to-market strategy by optimizing our distribution channels based on the specific characteristics of each market. Each market has its own development path, and we have been focusing on enhancing the efficiency of the distribution structure, finding the right partners, and ensuring the product channel fits.
Turning now to the market environment and the trends that are emerging for 2025. As we expanded internationally throughout 2024, we encountered regulatory shifts across multiple markets. While these regulatory changes presented challenges, we view them as opportunities to strengthen our competitive position.
Our ability to anticipate and quickly respond to evolving regulations is a key differentiator supporting our success beyond China. We proactively assess and adapt our strategies to ensure compliance while continuing to meet user demand. We also carefully monitor our existing products and channel inventory levels while building a robust product pool to remain prepared to react to abrupt, unexpected regulatory changes.
Looking ahead to 2025, we have observed a slight slowdown in product innovation as the industry enters a more mature stage of development. We believe that going forward, success will be less reliant on blockbuster new products, and instead depend on refined and efficient operations, channel development and product optimization. We are confident that we are well positioned to thrive in this environment.
With our in-house e-liquid development team and production capabilities, we can home in on key product elements like flavor, taste, and quality control to deliver high-quality products that meet user expectations, both domestically and overseas. Before I move on to our financial performance, I am pleased to share that our ESG efforts continue to win recognition from leading global ESG rating agencies in 2024.
We received an AA rating from MSCI, upgraded from a single A rating. This is the highest MSCI ESG rating in the global tobacco industry, making RLX the highest scoring company in the global e-cigarette industry for three consecutive years.
Driven by our dedication to social responsibility and value creation for all stakeholders, we will remain committed to integrating ESG best practices as we broaden our global footprint. Now let's move on to our financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024. Please note that unless otherwise stated, all the financials we present today are in RMB terms.
Starting with our top line. On a full year basis, our revenues were RMB2.7 billion, growing by an impressive 73.3% year-over-year, thanks to our international expansion success. For the fourth quarter, we achieved revenues of RMB813.5 million, a 56.3% year-over-year increase.
The seasonal impact of the Christmas holiday contributed positively to our quarterly results, as Christmas is traditionally a peak period for retail sales of e-vapor products. Additionally, some of our overseas distributors increased inventory ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday, which further boosted our fourth quarter sales.
Turning to profitability. Our full year gross profit margin improved to 26.4% in 2024, marking a 2-percentage- point increase. Notably, in the fourth quarter of 2024, our gross profit margin increased by 3.3-percentage- points year-over-year to 27.2%. This improvement was primarily due to favorable changes in our revenue mix from international markets and cost optimization initiatives.
In 2024, we recorded an operating loss of RMB 107.1 million. However, excluding the impact of stock-based compensation, our non-GAAP operating income for the full year was RMB262.5 million. For the fourth quarter alone, we achieved a non-GAAP operating profit of RMB112.6 million, marking a sequential rise for the fifth consecutive quarter and a significant milestone in our return to non-GAAP operating profitability for the full year.
Our profitability improvements were primarily driven by incremental contributions from our international business as well as the operating leverage gained as we scaled our operations in the new markets. Moving forward, we expect further improvement in our non-GAAP operating margin as we scale our business. Additionally, we are carefully managing our headcount in the middle and back-office functions as we expand regionally.
As a result, we expect our operating expenses to grow more slowly than revenue, which will further enhance our profitability. In terms of cash flow, we achieved an operating cash inflow of RMB497 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, up from RMB305 million in the same quarter of the previous year, reflecting our ongoing business growth and improvements in working capital efficiency.
As we mentioned on the last call, we are currently experiencing a negative cash conversion cycle. Inventory turnover days stood at 25 days in the fourth quarter of 2024, increased from 16 days in the third quarter of 2024 due to the seasonal impact of the Christmas and the Chinese New Year holiday. Our cash position remains solid.
As of December 31, 2024, our total financial assets, including cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and various short-term and long-term deposits and investments stand at RMB15.9 billion. In 2024, we returned approximately USD122.9 million to our shareholders, including approximately USD109 million through our share repurchase program and USD14 million through cash dividends we announced in November 2024.
Supported by our solid fundamental cash position, we will deepen our commitment to delivering value to our shareholders. Our objective is to return substantially all of our non-GAAP net profit through share repurchase programs and cash dividends.
In conclusion, our strategic foresight and disciplined execution helped us navigate external uncertainties and strengthened our brand image among global adult smokers. While some of these efforts may not yield visible results in the short term, we believe their long-term positive impact on our global competitiveness will prove invaluable.
As industry concentration continues to increase, our comprehensive industry-leading capabilities position us to capture additional market growth and leverage the category's overall growth to create value for all our stakeholders. This concludes our prepared remarks today. We will now open the call to questions. Operator, please go ahead.

Question and Answer Session

Operator

(Operator Instructions) Christine Peng, UBS.

Christine Peng

So I have two questions for the management. So the first question is about the overseas market expansion. So you have shared with us a lot of the initiatives that you have been doing in 2024. So going to 2025, what are the new initiatives you're going to implement to further drive the market share gains in overseas market?

Sam Tsang

Thanks very much, Christine. Thanks for asking. So we designed our product portfolio and business strategies to align with the unique characteristics of each market. On the product side, we analyze local preferences to develop tailored flavor portfolios and product formats. Our in-house e-liquid team specializes in crafting flavors inspired by traditional foods and cultural nuances, ensuring strong resonance with regional tastes.
For our route-to-market strategies, we adopt a dynamic approach, continuously reassessing plans to reflect market conditions and distribution channel criteria tics. This includes identifying high potential sales channels such as convenience stores and liquor stores and focusing resources on the most promising opportunities.
We also collaborate with distribution partners who possess deep local knowledge and resources, enabling us to build efficient and robust networks. Data-driven insights play a crucial role in our decision-making. By analyzed marketing trends and consumer behavior, we ensure our product aligned with local preferences, affordability and purchasing habits, creating an optimal fit between products and channels.

Christine Peng

Thank you, management. So I have another question, it is regarding the shareholder return. So any update regarding the shareholder return from 2025 and onwards?

Sam Tsang

Thank you very much. So I mean, we have also explained that in our opening remarks, we've returned a significant portion of our non-GAAP net profit to shareholders through share repurchase and cash dividends. As of December last year, we have cumulatively returned USD332 million to shareholders, including USD305 million through share repurchases and USD27 million through dividends. This year, we intend to continue these initiatives, reflecting our commitment to shareholder value. Thank you very much.

Operator

Lydia Ling, Citi.

Lydia Ling

This is Lydia from Citi. So I also have two questions. First, I actually want to follow up on the overseas side. Do you (technical difficulty) could share with us your detailed expansion plan for this year and earnings growth rate target for this year? And secondly, also like do you have any light, could share your insights regarding the industry's product evolution in this year?
And my second question would be on the regulation side. And actually, there are like the regulatory uncertainties in overseas markets. So is it possible that you could elaborate your views on potential regulatory changes? And how would you actually address these challenges? Yes, any color would be very helpful.

Sam Tsang

Thanks very much, Lydia. Regarding your first question, which is about our international expansion, we plan to expand to more countries in 2025, likely in the second half of this year. Several countries in Asia Pacific and Europe are under our consideration for this expansion. However, the macroeconomic environment, political stability and regulatory landscapes remain unpredictable. We will make more informed decisions by midyear based on further developments.
Regarding the global industry product regulations, the typical innovation cycle in e-vapor lasts around three years. Between 2020 and 2022, disposable products reshaped the markets, driving growth and transitions within product categories.
From 2023 to 2025, the focus has shift to high-power innovations such as steel mesh technology, which enhanced user satisfaction and introduced higher e-liquid volume products. This trend has also driven the decline of average sales price per e-liquid limiter, particularly as potential bans on disposables in Europe accelerates the transition. We believe 2025 will mark the conclusion of this innovation cycle as the shift to high-puff or high-volume products stabilize.
For our company, sales volume in millimeter has grown faster than revenue due to lower average selling price. We expect this trend to normalize by end of this year or early next year. We anticipate meaningful market share growth in sales volume and moderate revenue growth. Over the medium term, we are confident that these metrics will grow in parallel, supporting sustainable and healthy business growth.
Regarding your second question about the regulatory changes and challenges in our industry, the regulatory landscape varies by region. In Southeast Asia, regulations are becoming more stringent with clear definitions that reduce ambiguity for industry players.
However, political stability in some countries has created additional uncertainties and delayed approval process. In Europe, environmental concerns have led to bans on disposable products in countries such as UK and France, while other regulations aim to minimize the appeal e-vapor products to underage. Additionally, some European nations are introducing tax on e-vapor products.
To address these challenges, we proactively evaluate our product portfolio and adjust our strategies to ensure compliance while meeting user demand. By closely monitoring inventory and collaborating with our business partners, we can swiftly adapt to regulatory changes. This agility combined with our ability to anticipate evolving regulations, strengthens our competitive advantages, and position us for long-term sustainable growth. Thank you for your question.

Operator

Yun Guo, CITIC.

Yun Guo

This is Yun from CITIC Securities. And my question is about product innovation. The open system e-cigarettes benefit from the ban on the disposable e-cigarettes in Europe. So what's your opinion for the open system e-cigarettes and how competitive are the company's open system e-cigarette products? And recently, the HNB product is quite popular. And do you plan to enter to this market?

Sam Tsang

Thank you very much, Yun Guo, for your questions. The first one is on our open system products. So we believe the open system e-vapor products will experience stable demand growth in price-sensitive markets where affordability is key. Our product development strategy focuses on five priorities. Puff experience, affordability, convenience, user satisfaction and harm reduction. Our open system products, including Relx Prime and Relx Spin Mini are designed to address affordability and convenience.
Relx Prime features added electric storage button, significantly expanding usage time, and improving efficiency compared to other products on the market. Relx Spin Mini offers a dual flavors pod system catering to local user preferences by providing cost-effective solutions with superior user experiences.
These innovations position us as a strong competitor in the open system market and allow us to meet evolving consumer needs. Regarding HNB products, we observed that the e-vapor industry is growing faster globally than the Heat No Burn products. Heat No Burn products tend to succeed in developed markets only with strong purchasing -- due to strong purchasing power due to their relatively high cost.
Additionally, middle age and younger adult smokers prefer e-vapor products for their convenience and overall experience. As a result, we currently have no plans to enter the Heat No Burn markets, and we'll continue prioritizing e-vapor products where we hold a stronger competitive advantage. Thank you for your questions.

Operator

Due to time constraints, now I'd like to turn the call back over to the company for closing remarks.

Sam Tsang

Thank you once again for joining us today. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact RLX Technology's Investor Relations team through the contact information provided on our website or Piacente Financial communications.

Operator

This concludes this conference call. You may now disconnect your line. Thank you.

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