Advantage Solutions Inc. Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosure

3. Goodwill and Intangible Assets

During the second quarter of fiscal year 2024, the Company determined a triggering event occurred and an impairment assessment was warranted for the Branded Agencies reporting unit goodwill due to the pending sale of one of the businesses that comprised a substantial portion of the assets, liabilities and prospective cash flows of the Branded Agencies reporting unit. As a result of the impairment test performed, the Company recognized a goodwill impairment charge of $99.7 million related to the Company's Branded Agencies reporting unit goodwill during the year ended December 31, 2024, which has been reflected in “Impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived asset” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. As a result of this charge, an immaterial amount of goodwill remains in this reporting unit.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024, the Company identified a triggering event that required an impairment assessment of goodwill for the Branded Services reporting unit. The triggering event was due to the loss of clients and a reduction in the scope of client services as the Company’s clients implemented internal cost reduction initiatives in response to challenges in the broader markets in which they operate. As a result of the goodwill impairment test, the Company recognized a goodwill impairment charge of $133.5 million related to the Branded Services reporting unit during the year ended December 31, 2024. This charge is reflected in “Impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived asset” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. As a result of this charge, the Branded Services segment had accumulated impairment losses to goodwill of $955.8 million as of December 31, 2024.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recognized goodwill impairment charges of $1,367.5 million as a result of the Company’s annual evaluation of goodwill impairment test (as further described in Note 1—Organization and Significant Accounting Policies). Accumulated impairment losses to goodwill were $2,252.7 million and $2,019.5 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Intangible assets, along with the related accumulated amortization, are removed from the table above at the end of the fiscal year they become fully amortized.

The Company records all intangible assets at their respective fair values and assesses the estimated useful lives of the assets at the time of acquisition. Client relationships were valued using the multi-period excess earnings method under the income approach. The values of client relationships are generally regarded as the estimated economic benefit derived from the incremental revenues and related cash flows as a direct result of the client relationships in place versus having to replicate them. Further, the Company evaluated the legal, regulatory, contractual, competitive, economic or other factors in determining the useful life. Trade names were valued using the relief-from-royalty method under the income approach. This method relies on the premise that, in lieu of ownership, a company would be willing to pay a royalty to obtain access to the use and benefits of the trade names. The Company has considered its trade name related to the 2014 Topco Acquisition to be indefinite, as there is no foreseeable limit on the period of time over which such trade names are expected to contribute to the cash flows of the reporting entity.

Amortization expenses included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 were $177.3 million, $186.8 million, and $189.1 million, respectively.

During the fourth quarter of December 31, 2024, the Company recognized an intangible asset impairment charge of $42.0 million as a result of the triggering event for the Branded Services reporting unit.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recognized an intangible asset impairment charge of $43.5 million related to the Company's indefinite-lived trade name, in connection with the Company’s deconsolidation of its European joint venture and planned disposition of its foodservice businesses (as further described in Note 1—Organization and Significant Accounting Policies and Note 2—Discontinued Operations, Deconsolidation of European Joint Venture, Divestitures and Acquisitions). During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recognized intangible asset impairment charges of $205.0 million related to the Company's indefinite-lived trade name in connection with the Company’s annual intangible asset impairment test on October 1, 2022 (as further described in Note 1—Organization and Significant Accounting Policies).

During fiscal year 2022, the Company concluded the impact of challenges in the labor market and continued inflationary pressures was an indicator that impairment may exist related to its client relationship intangible assets and as a result, the Company performed a recoverability test and determined that there was no impairment.