QKLS QKL Stores Inc (CE)

RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below and the other information contained in this prospectus before deciding to invest in our common stock.

If we do not receive prompt delivery of the goods we order, in good condition, and at the prices we expect, our ability to generate profits could be harmed.

As a retail company, our ability to keep our shelves stocked with a wide variety of merchandise is essential to our success and is dependent on the prompt delivery of the goods we order, in good condition, and at the prices we expect. Disruptions to our supply chain could cause us to reduce the variety or overall amount of goods we sell; to seek alternative sources for affected supplies; or to increase our prices, decrease our profit margins, or both. Any of these consequences could lead to our customers buying less, shopping elsewhere or criticizing our reputation. If this occurred, our income, profitability, reputation and competitive position would all suffer.

Our supply chain and costs could be disrupted by a wide variety of events. The most significant of these are described below:

Delivery of our supplies depends on the smooth passage of commercial cargo through the railways, highways and waterways in and around northeastern China and Inner Mongolia. Transportation infrastructure in and around northeastern China and Inner Mongolia may suffer more breakdowns and offer fewer alternative routes than systems in many western countries.

Severe storms could also reduce supplies of fresh foods by destroying crops and livestock and, in extreme cases, could reduce supplies of processed foods by reducing overall availability of the agricultural raw materials from which they are made, and cause shortages of, and price increases for, the affected supplies.

Poor yields of crops and livestock, whether due to bad weather, disease, errors in agricultural planning or other causes, could reduce the market supplies of fresh foods as well as processed foods that depend on agricultural products as raw materials. Such reductions could raise the cost of our supplies and cause the supply shortages.

We rely on suppliers to provide sufficient amounts of merchandise that meet our quality standards and government health and consumer-protection standards. A significant portion of our supplies (approximately 11.6% in 2010 and 14.7% in 2009) come from our top 10 suppliers, which are primarily large wholesalers and meat processors. We usually secure a primary vendor and a secondary vendor for each category of merchandise by entering into standard contracts with them, which typically have a term of one year and provide for payment at market prices. In case there are merchandise shortages, we utilize the secondary vendor. If one or more of these suppliers experiences quality control failures or is unable to secure its own supply of merchandise, whether self-produced or purchased from others, the merchandise that it delivers to us could fail to meet our or the government’s quality standards or arrive in insufficient amounts to meet our needs. If such risks do materialize, there is no guarantee we would succeed in securing replacement supplies meeting our and the government’s standards from other suppliers quickly and at reasonable prices, or at all, and we could suffer the consequences of supply chain disruption described above.

Under our supply contracts, our suppliers are responsible for damage that occurs during shipping and, under the PRC’s consumer protection laws, our suppliers must reimburse us for the cost of spoiled goods returned to us by customers for a refund. Nevertheless, significant spoilage could reduce the amount of fresh food we are able to offer, which could reduce our income.

Economic conditions, in northeastern China in particular, affect the price and availability of our supplies. Inflation in prices of agricultural products and in general is a significant concern in China. If inflation develops and becomes a significant problem, many retailers in China, including us, will have to choose between increasing the prices we charge our customers and reducing the profit margins on our sales. In either case, our competitive position and operating results could be harmed, and the value of any investment in our common stock could be reduced.

In addition, the geographic concentration of our operations exposes us to the risks of the local economy. We operate in northeastern China and Inner Mongolia, and our near-term plans call for expansion only within the three provinces of northeastern China and the eastern region of Inner Mongolia. Our headquarters, warehouses and distribution facilities and all of our stores are located within a relatively limited geographic area. As a result, our business is more susceptible to regional conditions, including conditions affecting infrastructure, agriculture, inflation and employment, than our more geographically diversified competitors.

The supermarket industry in the PRC is becoming increasingly competitive and, unless we are able to compete effectively with domestic and foreign retailers, and restaurants and fast food chains, our profits could suffer.

The supermarket industry in the PRC is highly and increasingly competitive. Giant international retailers such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour have entered the market, national retailers such as Bailian and Lianhua have expanded, and local and regional competition has grown. Some of these companies have substantially greater financial, marketing, personnel and other resources than we do.

Our competitors could adapt more quickly than we do to evolving consumer preferences or market trends, have more success than we do in their marketing efforts, control supply costs and operating expenses more effectively than we do, or do a better job than we do in formulating and executing expansion plans. Increased competition may also lead to price wars, counterfeit products or negative brand advertising, all of which may adversely affect our market share and profit margins. Expansion of large retailers into new locations may limit the locations into which we may profitably expand. To the extent that our competitors are able to take advantage of any of these factors, our competitive position and operating results may suffer.

We also face heightened competition from restaurants and fast food chains, which are capturing an increasing portion of household food expenditures in the PRC.

Because we face intense competition, we must anticipate and quickly respond to changing consumer demands more effectively than our competitors. In order to succeed in implementing our business plan, we must achieve and maintain favorable recognition of our private label brands, effectively market our products to consumers, competitively price our products, and maintain and enhance a perception of value for consumers. We must also source and distribute our merchandise efficiently. Failure to accomplish these objectives could impair our ability to compete successfully and adversely affect our growth and profitability.

Our limited operating history makes it difficult to evaluate our future prospects and results of operations; our business could fail, and you could lose some or all of your investment.

We have a limited operating history and the PRC supermarket industry is young and continually growing. Accordingly, you should consider our future prospects in light of the risks and uncertainties experienced by early-stage companies in evolving markets. Some of these risks and uncertainties relate to our ability to:

Because we are a relatively new company, we may not be experienced enough to address all the risks in our business or in our expansion plan. If we are unsuccessful in addressing any of these risks and uncertainties, our business may fail.

Our internal control over financial reporting and our disclosure controls and procedures have been ineffective, and failure to improve them could lead to future errors in our financial statements that could require a restatement or untimely filings, which could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, and a decline in our stock price.

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the company. Internal control over financial reporting cannot provide absolute assurance of achieving financial reporting objectives because of its inherent limitations. Internal control over financial reporting is a process that involves human diligence and compliance and is subject to lapses in judgment and breakdowns resulting from human failures. Internal control over financial reporting also can be circumvented by collusion or improper management override. Because of such limitations, there is a risk that material misstatements may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis by internal control over financial reporting.

We conducted an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our CEO and CFO, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a15 (e) and 15d15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) as of December 31, 2012. Based on such evaluation, our CEO and CFO have concluded that, as of  the end of such period, our disclosure controls and procedures and our internal controls over financial reporting were not effective.  The conclusion that our internal controls over financial reporting were not effective was based on material weaknesses we identified in relation to our financial closing process and the timely filing of current reports on Form 8-K.

As a result of the ineffectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting described above, current and potential stockholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our stock.

Economic conditions that affect consumer spending could limit our sales and increase our costs.

Our results of operations are sensitive to changes in overall economic conditions that affect consumer spending, including discretionary spending. Inflation and adverse changes to employment levels, business conditions, interest rates, energy and fuel costs and tax rates can, in addition to causing the supply chain cost challenges described above, reduce consumer spending and change consumer purchasing habits.

As of the date of this prospectus, we have not been significantly negatively impacted by the economic downturn in the PRC. The recession in the PRC to date has mainly impacted the export sector based in southeastern China. Northeastern China and Inner Mongolia, where our stores are located, have not been affected to the same extent. Should the economic downturn worsen and spread to northeastern China and Inner Mongolia, where we are based, a general reduction in the level of consumer spending in the region would likely result, which would reduce our sales revenues and profits.

Much of our income comes from sales of perishable merchandise, which can lose its value quickly; such losses could harm our operating results.

We could suffer spoilage if supply chain disruptions occur, if our refrigerators and freezers malfunction or if we suffer lapses of quality control inspection and supervision. If our inspections fail to discover spoilage in a shipment of fresh food or if we fail to routinely inspect perishable merchandise on our shelves, we could inadvertently offer spoiled food for sale, which could harm our reputation, competitive position and operating results. Moreover, if we fail to accurately predict future customer demand for perishable food, we would be forced to discard unsold perishable food once it spoils, which would also negatively affect our operating results.

Consumer concerns regarding the safety and quality of food products or health concerns could adversely affect sales of our high-margin products, which would negatively impact our profits.

Our sales results could be harmed if consumers lose confidence in the safety and quality of our fresh food products. Consumers in the PRC are becoming increasingly conscious of food safety and nutrition. Consumer concerns about, for example, the safety of meat, fish, or dairy products, or about the safety of food additives used in processed food products, could discourage them from buying these relatively high-margin products and cause our profit margins to fall and our results of operations to suffer.

We rely on the performance of our individual stores, individual store managers, regional managers and our operating director for our sales, and should any or all of them perform poorly for any reason, our sales results, reputation and competitive position would suffer.

We sell all of our products through our individual stores. Each supermarket is managed by a store manager who reports directly to one of our four regional managers. Each regional manager manages around 10 stores and reports to our operating director, who reports to our COO, Ms. Xishuang Fan. Regional managers spend their time in stores to work together with each individual store manager. Each region holds teleconferences every week. Although all purchasing decisions as to vendors and costs are made by company management and not store managers, the store manager makes the decision as to order quantities and is responsible for the daily operation of the store. If factors either in or out of a store manager’s control reduce a store’s business — for example, disruption of customer traffic by nearby construction or customer dissatisfaction with store employees — the individual store’s income could fall, which would negatively impact our sales. Also, if our managers and operating director fail to adequately manage store employees and day-to-day operations in a manner that pleases our customers, our reputation and competitive position will suffer.

We may fail to identify or anticipate trends in consumer preferences, which could result in decreased demand for our merchandise, and lower revenues and profits.

Our continued success in the retail market depends on our ability to anticipate the changing tastes, dietary habits and lifestyle preferences of customers. If we are not able to anticipate and identify new consumer trends and stock our shelves accordingly, our sales may decline and our operating results may be adversely affected. For example, we believe meat and dairy products have strong growth potential in northeastern China and Inner Mongolia. Accordingly, we have increased our focus on sales of these products, which tend to have higher profit margins than our other products. If the market for these products in the PRC does not grow as we expect, our income may not grow as we expect and our operating results may suffer.

Our profit margins could narrow and as a result the value of any investment in our common stock could be reduced.

Profit margins in the grocery retail industry are narrow. In order to increase or maintain our profit margins, we are developing strategies to reduce costs by attempting to increase efficiencies and increase sales of higher-margin items such as private label merchandise, prepared-in-store foods, and meat and dairy products, but we can offer no assurance that such strategies, or our execution of such strategies, will be successful. We also implement promotional price reductions as part of our competitive strategy that may further affect our profit margin. Thus, there is no guarantee that our current profit margin will not decline, which would negatively impact our profitability.

We rely heavily on information technology systems, which could fail, causing damage to our operations.

We have a large and complex information technology system that we rely on to keep track of inventory and sales, determine our ordering of supplies, and communicate among stores, our distribution center and our corporate headquarters. Like any electronic data management system, ours is subject to malfunction. In such a case, our operations could be significantly disrupted as we work to fix the problem, upgrade our system or adopt a new system.

In addition, despite our efforts to secure our computer network, the security of our network could be compromised, confidential information could be misappropriated and other system disruptions could occur. This could lead to loss of sales and diversion of corporate resources from operations and planning. 

  If we have difficulties finding and leasing new retail space for new stores or retaining existing retail space, our operations could be disrupted and we will be unable to grow as planned, which would negatively affect our stock price.

We currently lease the majority of our store locations. Typically our supermarket leases have initial 10-20 year lease terms and may include renewal options for up to an additional 10 or 20 years. Our revenues and profitability would be negatively impacted if we are unable to renew these leases at reasonable rates.

We completed the initial steps in the execution of our expansion plan in March 2008, when we raised financing through the combination of our reverse merger and private placement and also raised additional financing in our public offering in the fourth quarter of 2009. Under our expansion plan, we opened:

Our success in executing our expansion plan depends on our ability to open or acquire new stores in existing and new retail areas and to operate these stores successfully. We may also choose to continue to expand through acquisitions. We must find suitable locations for those stores and reach reasonable terms with building owners and other interested parties, which could be difficult as we face intense competition from other retailers for such sites. If we cannot find suitable locations at a reasonable cost, our ability to grow will be compromised, which would negatively affect our stock price.

Our insurance coverage may be inadequate and, if any of the products we sell causes personal injury or illness, we could be exposed to significant losses resulting from negative publicity and harm to our reputation. This exposure could harm our business.

The sale of food products for human consumption involves an inherent risk of injury to consumers. Such injuries may result from tampering by unauthorized third parties, contamination, including by bacteria, insecticides, fertilizers and other substances, spoilage and mislabeling. Although we and our suppliers are subject to governmental inspections and regulations, consumption of our products could still cause a health-related illness in the future and we could be subject to claims or lawsuits relating to such events. Under certain circumstances, we could be required to recall products. Unlike most supermarket companies in the United States, but in line with industry practice in the PRC, we do not maintain product liability insurance, and we cannot predict the extent of liability we could face if such events were to occur.

Although the standard contracts we sign with our suppliers include a provision that shifts liability to our suppliers if a consumer is injured by a supplier’s product, the negative publicity surrounding any assertions that merchandise we carry caused personal injury or illness could adversely affect our reputation and competitive position. In addition, our property and equipment insurance does not cover the full value of our property and equipment, which leaves us with exposure in the event of loss or damage to our properties. Except for property, accident and automobile insurance, we do not have other insurance such as business liability or disruption insurance coverage for our operations in the PRC.

We do not maintain a reserve fund for potential warranty or defective products claims. If we experience an increase in warranty claims or if our repair and replacement costs associated with warranty claims increase significantly, our results of operations and financial condition would suffer.

Our company name and private label merchandise may be subject to counterfeiting or imitation, which could damage our reputation and brand image, and lead to higher administrative costs.

We regard brand positioning as an important element of our competitive strategy, and intend to position our private label brands to be associated with low prices, high quality, convenience and a positive shopping experience. There have been frequent occurrences of counterfeiting and imitation of products in the PRC in the past. Imitation of our company name or logo could occur in the future and there is no guarantee that we will be able to detect it and deal with it effectively. Any occurrence of counterfeiting or imitation could damage our corporate and brand image.

If we do not effectively manage our growth, our expansion efforts could fail, which would negatively affect our stock price.

There is no guarantee that our expansion plan will be successfully implemented. In order to fully implement these plans, we will have to hire a large number of additional employees, secure new retail locations, and integrate new stores and distribution routes into our existing business. There is no guarantee that we will meet all or any of these needs and therefore no guarantee that we will succeed in our efforts to expand.

Moreover, our future expansion will depend both on the profitability of our business and our ability to raise capital from outside sources.

If our business and markets grow and develop, it will be necessary for us to finance and manage expansion in an orderly fashion. We may not have the requisite experience to manage and operate a larger network of stores and distribution centers. In addition, we may face challenges in integrating acquired businesses with our own. These events would increase demands on our existing management, workforce and facilities. Failure to satisfy these increased demands could interrupt or adversely affect our operations and cause production backlogs, longer product development time frames and administrative inefficiencies.

If our expansion plans are not fulfilled, our stock price will decline.

We may not be able to hire and retain qualified personnel to support our growth and if we are unable to retain or hire such personnel in the future, our ability to implement our business objectives could be limited. Difficulties with hiring, employee training and other labor issues could disrupt our operations.

Our operations depend on the work of more than 6,000 employees. We may not be able to retain those employees, successfully hire and train new employees or integrate new employees into the programs and policies of the Company. Any such difficulties would reduce our operating efficiency and increase our costs of operations, and could harm our overall financial condition.

If one or more of our senior executives or other key personnel are unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may not be able to replace them within a reasonable time, and our business may be disrupted and our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. Competition for senior management and personnel is intense, the pool of qualified candidates is very limited, and we may not be able to retain the services of our senior executives or senior personnel, or attract and retain high-quality senior executives or senior personnel in the future. This failure could limit our future growth and reduce the value of our common stock.

We may have difficulty establishing adequate management, legal and financial controls in the PRC, which may result in a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements.

Companies in the PRC have not historically adopted a western style of management and financial reporting concepts and practices, or a modern western style of banking, computer and other control systems. We may have difficulty in hiring and retaining a sufficient number of employees qualified in these areas to work for our operating company in the PRC. As a result of these factors, we may experience difficulty in establishing management, legal and financial controls, collecting financial data, preparing financial statements, books of account and corporate records, and instituting business practices relating to our PRC operations that meet western standards. Any such difficulty could result in a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements.

We could be required to pay liquidated damages to our investors under the registration rights agreement entered into with our investors and such payment could harm our financial condition.

On March 28, 2008, as part of a $15.5 million private placement, we entered into a registration rights agreement (as amended on May 8, 2008) with certain investors, pursuant to which we agreed to register for resale up to an aggregate of 1,728,969 shares of common stock, including shares of common stock underlying Series A Preferred Stock, Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants. The registration rights agreement provided that if the initial registration statement required to be filed thereunder was not declared effective by September 24, 2008, we would be required to pay certain liquidated damages to the investors. On March 9, 2009, the investors party to the registration rights agreement waived their right to such liquidated damages and on August 11, 2009, the initial registration statement covering 86,285 shares of the total shares registrable pursuant to the registration rights agreement was declared effective. We were not able to register all of the 1,728,969 shares in the initial registration statement due to limits imposed by the Securities Exchange Commission’s interpretation of Rule 415 of Regulation C promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”).

There are additional deadlines we are required to meet if the private placement investors request that we file one or more registration statements covering the remaining shares that we are obligated to register pursuant to the registration rights agreement. In the event that we are required to file an additional registration statement to cover securities that we have previously been unable to register, we will be required to file any such additional registration statement within 30 days of receipt of demand notice from certain of our stockholders.  We will further be required to have any such additional registration statement declared effective within 150 days of its initial filing date, or 180 days from its initial filing date in the event that the registration statement is given a full review by the Securities and Exchange Commission. If we fail to meet one or more of those deadlines, we would, in the absence of an additional waiver, be required to pay the investors up to a maximum of $1,550,000 in liquidated damages. Payment of a significant amount of liquidated damages would harm our profitability and we may not have sufficient cash to pay them.

If our lease agreements for certain stores are nullified due to title deficiencies of our landlords, our business may be adversely affected.

The PRC real property laws and regulations require landlord to be the legal owner of the relevant leased properties, otherwise the lease agreement may be nullified. We have not received or confirmed documentation evidencing our landlord’s legal ownership for 10 of our stores. If any of these landlords do not legally own the leased properties, the actual legal owners could force the affected stores to relocate and operation of the stores concerned may be temporarily terminated until such stores are relocated.

In addition, the PRC real property laws and regulations require landlords to obtain prior consent from the legal owner of the relevant leased properties before the execution of any sublease agreements; otherwise the sublease agreement may be nullified if the legal owner refuses to rectify his consent. We have not independently confirmed whether consents authorizing our subleases for our supermarkets and distribution centers have been obtained. If the legal owners of the stores claim that the subleases were invalid, operation of the supermarkets or distribution centers concerned may be terminated until the supermarkets or distribution centers are relocated.

Some of our stores may not be in full compliance with legal requirement on their sector approvals and business licenses and may therefore be subject to punishment imposed by the relevant PRC authorities.

The PRC laws and regulations require that store operators obtain a Public Site Hygiene License and, if applicable, a Food Hygiene License if there are edible products being processed or distributed in the store. Store operators are also required to indicate “store operation” on the Public Site Hygiene License and to specify each category of edible product (i.e., vegetables, fresh seafood, etc.) distributed. Failure to do so may expose the store to administrative punishments imposed by the relevant government authorities. Punishments include administrative penalty up to RMB20,000 (approximately US$3,000), confiscation of income generated from the excluded business items and, in extreme cases, revocation of the business license of the violating store.

Several of our stores have either not obtained the Public Site Hygiene License or are distributing edible products without specifying the product category on their Food Hygiene License. Such stores may be subject to sanction as discussed above, which may be imposed at the sole discretion of PRC authorities.

In addition, several of our stores are distributing products salt, alcohol, audio-video products and tobacco which are not permitted on their business license. While such stores have not been sanctioned for such discrepancy, we cannot guaranty that the relevant PRC authority will not impose administrative penalties on such stores in the future, which penalties could be up to RMB100,000 (approximately US$15,000) per store.

We are not current in our payment of social insurance and housing accumulation fund for our employees and such shortfall may expose us to relevant administrative penalties.

The PRC laws and regulations require all the employers in China to fully contribute their own portion of the social insurance premium and housing accumulation fund for their employees within a certain period of time. Failure to do so may expose the employers to make rectification for the accrued premium and fund by the relevant labour authority. Also, an administrative fine may be imposed on the employers as well as the key management members. Speedy Brilliant (Daqing), QKL-China and QT&C have failed to fully contribute the social insurance premium and housing accumulation fund. Therefore, they may be subject to the administrative punishment as mentioned above.

Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure

We control QKL-China through a series of contractual arrangements, which may not be as effective in providing control over the entity as direct ownership and may be difficult to enforce.

We operate our business in the PRC through our variable interest entity, QKL-China. QKL-China holds the licenses, approvals and assets necessary to operate our business in the PRC. We have no equity ownership interest in QKL-China and rely on contractual arrangements with QKL-China and its shareholders that allow us to substantially control and operate QKL-China. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing control over QKL-China because QKL-China or its shareholders could breach the arrangements.

Our contractual arrangements with QKL-China are governed by PRC law and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in the PRC. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC law and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. If QKL-China or its shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under these contractual arrangements, we may have to:

The legal environment in the PRC is not as developed as in the United States and uncertainties in the Chinese legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. In the event that we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

If the PRC government determines that the contractual arrangements through which we control QKL-China do not comply with applicable regulations, our business could be adversely affected.

Although we believe our contractual relationships through which we control QKL-China comply with current licensing, registration and regulatory requirements of the PRC, we cannot assure you that the PRC government would agree, or that new and burdensome regulations will not be adopted in the future. If the PRC government determines that our structure or operating arrangements do not comply with applicable law, it could revoke our business and operating licenses, require us to discontinue or restrict our operations, restrict our right to collect revenues, require us to restructure our operations, impose additional conditions or requirements with which we may not be able to comply, impose restrictions on our business operations or on our customers, or take other regulatory or enforcement actions against us that could be harmful to our business.

The controlling shareholders of QKL-China have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may adversely affect our business.

The controlling shareholders of QKL-China are also beneficial holders of our common shares. They are also directors of both QKL-China and us. These shareholders hold a larger interest in QKL-China when compared to their beneficial ownership in our shares. Conflicts of interest between their dual roles as shareholders and directors of both QKL-China and us may arise. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise, any or all of these individuals will act in the best interests of the Company or that conflicts of interest will be resolved in our favor. In addition, these individuals may breach or cause QKL-China to breach or refuse to renew the existing contractual arrangements that allow us to receive economic benefits from QKL-China. Currently, we do not have existing arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest between these individuals and our company. We rely on these individuals to abide by the laws of the State of Delaware, which provide that directors owe a fiduciary duty to the Company, and which require them to act in good faith and in the best interests of the Company, and not use their positions for personal gain. If we cannot resolve any conflicts of interest or disputes between us and the shareholders of QKL-China, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in disruption of our business and substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.

Risks Related to Doing Business in the People’s Republic of China

Our business operations are conducted entirely in the PRC. Because China’s economy and its laws, regulations and policies are different from those typically found in western countries and are continually changing, we will face risks including those summarized below.

The PRC is a developing nation governed by a one-party government and may be more susceptible to political, economic, and social upheaval than other nations; any such upheaval could cause us to temporarily or permanently cease operations.

China is a developing country governed by a one-party government that imposes restrictions on individual liberties that are significantly stricter than those typically found in western nations. China has an extremely large population, significant levels of poverty, widening income gaps between rich and poor and between urban and rural residents, large minority ethnic and religious populations, and growing access to information about the different social, economic, and political systems to be found in other countries. China has also experienced rapid economic growth over the last decade, and its legal and regulatory systems have changed rapidly to accommodate this growth. These conditions make China unique and may make it susceptible to major structural changes. Such changes could include a reversal of China’s movement to encourage private economic activity, labor disruptions or other organized protests, nationalization of private businesses, internal conflicts between the police or military and the citizenry, and international political or military conflict. If any of these events were to occur, it could damage China’s economy and impair our business.

We are subject to comprehensive regulation by the PRC legal system, which is uncertain. As a result, it may limit the legal protections available to you and us and we may not now be, or remain in the future, in compliance with PRC laws and regulations.

QKL-China, our operating company, is incorporated under and is governed by the laws of the PRC; all of our operations are conducted in the PRC; and our suppliers and the agricultural producers on whom they depend are all located in the PRC. The PRC government exercises substantial control over virtually every sector of the PRC economy, including the production, distribution and sale of our merchandise. In particular, we are subject to regulation by local and national branches of the Ministries of Agriculture, Commerce and Health, as well as the General Administration of Quality Supervision, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, and other regulatory bodies. In order to operate under PRC law, we require valid licenses, certificates and permits, which must be renewed from time to time. If we were to fail to obtain the necessary renewals for any reason, including sudden or unexplained changes in local regulatory practice, we could be required to shut down all or part of our operations temporarily or permanently.

QKL-China is subject to PRC accounting laws, which require that an annual audit be performed in accordance with PRC accounting standards. The PRC foreign-invested enterprise laws require that our subsidiary, Speedy Brilliant (Daqing), submit periodic fiscal reports and statements to financial and tax authorities and maintain its books of account in accordance with Chinese accounting laws. If PRC authorities were to determine that we were in violation of these requirements, we could lose our business license and be unable to continue operations temporarily or permanently.

The legal and judicial systems in the PRC are still rudimentary. The laws governing our business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain and enforcement of existing laws is inconsistent. Thus, we can offer no assurance that we are, or will remain, in compliance with PRC laws and regulations.

PRC regulations also involve complex procedures for acquisitions conducted by foreign investors that could make it more difficult for us to grow through acquisitions.

The New M&A Rules also established additional procedures and requirements that are expected to make merger and acquisition activities in China by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the MOFCOM be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise, or that the approval from the MOFCOM be obtained in circumstances where overseas companies established or controlled by PRC enterprises or residents acquire affiliated domestic companies and special anti-monopoly submissions for parties meeting certain reporting thresholds. We may grow our business in part by acquiring other retail companies. Complying with the requirements of the new regulations to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including approval from MOFCOM, may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.

The new regulations also established additional procedures and requirements that are expected to make merger and acquisition activities in China by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the MOFCOM be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise, or that the approval from the MOFCOM be obtained in circumstances where overseas companies established or controlled by PRC enterprises or residents acquire affiliated domestic companies. We may grow our business in part by acquiring other retail companies. Complying with the requirements of the new regulations to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including approval from MOFCOM, may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.

In addition, on February 2, 2010, our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Wang, acquired all of the shares of Winning State (BVI), which currently owns 795,096 shares (approximately 52.2%) of our common stock, through a call option. While it is the case that our PRC counsel Deheng Law Firm believes that this arrangement was lawful under PRC laws and regulations, there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of the current or future PRC laws and regulations, including regulations governing the validity and legality of such call options. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that PRC government authorities will not ultimately take a view contrary to the opinion of our PRC legal counsel.

PRC laws and regulations governing our businesses and the validity of certain of our contractual arrangements are uncertain. If we are found to be in violation, we could be subject to sanctions. In addition, changes in such PRC laws and regulations may materially and adversely affect our business.

We do not currently have any equity interest in QKL-China or its subsidiary, but instead enjoy economic benefits and control over these entities substantially similar to equity ownership through contractual arrangements among our wholly owned subsidiary in China, Speedy Brilliant (Daqing), QKL-China and their respective shareholders. Consistent with the provisions of Financial Accounting Standard Board “FASB” Interpretation No. 46 (revised), “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities — an Interpretation of ARB No. 51”, we consolidated QKL-China from its inception.

There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of the current or future PRC laws and regulations, including regulations governing the validity and enforcement of such contractual arrangements. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that PRC government authorities will not ultimately take a view contrary to the opinion of our PRC legal counsel and Albert Wong & Co., LLP that we have properly consolidated QKL-China from its inception.

The PRC government has broad discretion in dealing with violations of laws and regulations, including levying fines, revoking business and other licenses, proscribing remittance of profits offshore and requiring actions necessary for compliance. In particular, licenses and permits issued or granted to us by relevant governmental bodies may be revoked at a later time by higher regulatory bodies. We cannot predict the effect of the interpretation of existing or new PRC laws or regulations on our businesses. We cannot assure you that our current ownership and operating structure would not be found to be in violation of any current or future PRC laws or regulations. As a result, we may be subject to sanctions, including fines, and could be required to restructure our operations or cease to provide certain services. Any of these or similar actions could significantly disrupt our business operations or restrict us from conducting a substantial portion of our business operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Anti-inflation measures could harm the economy generally and could harm our business.

The PRC government exercises significant control over the PRC economy. In recent years, the PRC government has instituted measures to curb the risk of inflation. These measures have included devaluations of the RMB, restrictions on the availability of domestic credit, and limited re-centralization of the approval process for some international transactions. These measures may not succeed in controlling inflation, or they may slow the economy below a healthy growth rate and lead to economic stagnation or recession; in the worst-case scenario, the measures could slow the economy without curbing inflation, causing “stagflation.” The PRC government could adopt additional measures to further combat inflation, including the establishment of price freezes or moratoriums on certain projects or transactions. Such measures could harm the economy generally and hurt our business by limiting the income of our customers available to purchase our merchandise, by forcing us to lower our profit margins, and by limiting our ability to obtain credit or other financing to pursue our expansion plan or maintain our business.

Governmental control of currency conversions could prevent us from paying dividends.

All of our revenue is earned in RMB and current and future restrictions on currency conversions may limit our ability to use revenue generated in RMB to make dividend or other payments in United States dollars. Although the PRC government introduced regulations in 1996 to allow greater convertibility of the RMB for current account transactions, significant restrictions still remain, including the restriction that foreign-invested enterprises like us may buy, sell or remit foreign currencies only after providing valid commercial documents at a PRC bank specifically authorized to conduct foreign-exchange business.

In addition, conversion of RMB for capital account items, including direct investment and loans, is subject to governmental approval in the PRC, and companies are required to open and maintain separate foreign-exchange accounts for capital account items. There is no guarantee that PRC regulatory authorities will not impose additional restrictions on the convertibility of the RMB. These restrictions could prevent us from distributing dividends and thereby reduce the value of our stock.

Fluctuation in the exchange rate of the RMB against the United States dollar could result in foreign currency exchange losses.

In 2005, the PRC government changed its decade-old policy of pegging the value of the RMB to the United States dollar. Under the new policy, the RMB is permitted to fluctuate within a narrow and managed band against a basket of certain foreign currencies. This change in policy has resulted in an appreciation of the RMB against the United States dollar of approximately 17.5% from July 1, 2005 through September 1, 2009. There remains significant international pressure on the PRC government to adopt an even more flexible currency policy, which could result in a further and more significant appreciation of the RMB against the United States dollar.

The value of our common stock will be affected by the foreign exchange rate between United States dollars and RMB. For example, to the extent that we need to convert United States dollars we receive from an offering of our securities into RMB, appreciation of the RMB against the United States dollar could reduce the value in RMB of our proceeds. Conversely, if we decide to convert our RMB into United States dollars for the purpose of declaring dividends on our common stock or for other business purposes, and the United States dollar appreciates against the RMB, the United States dollar equivalent of our earnings from our business would be reduced. In addition, the depreciation of significant United States dollar-denominated assets could result in a charge to our income statement and a reduction in the value of these assets.

The RMB is not a freely convertible currency, which could limit our ability to obtain sufficient foreign currency to support our business operations in the future.

We receive all of our revenues in RMB. The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of the PRC. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may restrict our ability to remit sufficient foreign currency to pay dividends, or otherwise satisfy foreign currency denominated obligations. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and expenditures from the transaction, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. However, approval from appropriate governmental authorities is required where RMB are to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of the PRC to pay capital expenses, such as the repayment of bank loans denominated in foreign currencies.

The PRC government could restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currency to satisfy our currency demands, we may not be able to pay certain expenses as they come due.

Our PRC stockholders are required to register with SAFE; their failure to do so could cause us to lose our ability to remit profits out of the PRC as dividends.

SAFE has promulgated several regulations, including Circular No. 75 (“Circular 75”), which became effective in November 2005, requiring PRC residents, including both PRC legal person residents and PRC natural person residents, to register with the competent local SAFE branch before establishing or controlling any company outside of the PRC for the purpose of equity financing with assets or equities of PRC companies, referred to in the Circular 75 as an “offshore special purpose company.” PRC residents that have established or controlled an offshore special purpose company, which has finished a round-trip investment before the implementation of Circular 75, are required to register their ownership interests or control in such “special purpose vehicles” with the local offices of SAFE. Under Circular 75, the term “PRC legal person residents” as used in Circular 75 refers to those entities with legal person status or other economic organizations established within the territory of the PRC. The term “PRC natural person residents” as used in Circular 75 includes all PRC citizens and all other natural persons, including foreigners, who habitually reside in the PRC for economic benefit. The term “special purpose vehicle” refers to an offshore entity established or controlled, directly or indirectly, by PRC residents or PRC entities for the purpose of seeking offshore equity financing using assets or interests owned by such PRC residents or PRC entities in onshore companies, and the term “round-trip investment” refers to the direct investment in PRC by PRC residents through “special purpose vehicles,” including without limitation, establishing foreign invested enterprises and using such foreign invested enterprises to purchase or control (by way of contractual arrangements) onshore assets.

In addition, any PRC resident that is the shareholder of an offshore special purpose company is required to amend his/her/its SAFE registration with the local SAFE branch upon (i) injection of equity interests or assets of an onshore enterprise to the offshore entity, or (ii) subsequent overseas equity financing by such offshore entity. PRC residents are also required to complete amended registrations or filing with the local SAFE branch within 30 days of any material change in the shareholding or capital of the offshore entity not involving a round-trip investment, such as changes in share capital, share transfers and long-term equity or debt investments or, already organized or gained control of offshore entities that have made onshore investments in the PRC before Circular 75 was promulgated must register with their shareholdings in the offshore entities with the local SAFE branch on or before March 31, 2006.

Under Circular 75, PRC residents are further required to repatriate into the PRC all of their dividends, profits or capital gains obtained from their shareholdings in the offshore entity within 180 days of their receipt of such dividends, profits or capital gains. The registration and filing procedures under the Circular 75 are prerequisites for other approval and registration procedures necessary for capital inflow from the offshore entity, such as inbound investments or shareholders loans, or capital outflow to the offshore entity, such as the payment of profits or dividends, liquidating distributions, equity sale proceeds, or the return of funds upon a capital reduction.

To further clarify the implementation of Circular 75, SAFE issued Circular No. 106 (“Circular 106”) on May 9, 2007, which is a guidance that SAFE issued to its local branches with respect to the operational process for SAFE registration that standardizing more specific and stringent supervision on the registration relating to the Circular 75. Under Circular 106, PRC subsidiaries of an offshore special purpose company are required to coordinate and supervise the filing of SAFE registrations by the offshore holding company’s shareholders who are PRC residents in a timely manner. If these shareholders and/or beneficial owners fail to comply, the PRC subsidiaries are required to report such failure to the local SAFE authorities and, if the PRC subsidiaries do report the failure, the PRC subsidiaries may be exempted from any potential liability to them related to the stockholders’ failure to comply. The failure of these shareholders and/or beneficial owners to timely amend their SAFE registrations pursuant to the Circular 75 and Circular 106 or the failure of future shareholders and/or beneficial owners of our company who are PRC residents to comply with the registration procedures set forth in the Circular 75 and Circular 106 may subject such shareholders, beneficial owners and/or our PRC subsidiaries to fines and legal sanctions and may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital into our PRC subsidiaries, limit our PRC subsidiaries ability to distribute dividends to our company or otherwise adversely affect our business.

These regulations apply to our stockholders who are PRC residents. In the event that our PRC-resident stockholders do not follow the procedures required by SAFE, we could (i) be exposed to fines and legal sanctions, (ii) lose the ability to contribute additional capital into our PRC subsidiaries or distribute dividends to our company, (iii) face liability for evasion of foreign-exchange regulations, and/or (iv) lose the ability to consolidate the financial statements of our PRC subsidiaries and of QKL-China under applicable accounting principles.

Mr. Wang, our Chief Executive Officer, is required to register with the competent SAFE branch prior to exercise of his call option, and he completed such registration on October 10, 2009. Mr. Wang has exercised his call option and all of the shares of Winning State (BVI) were transferred from Mr. Yap to Mr. Wang on February 2, 2010.

Enforcement against us or our directors and officers may be difficult and you could be unable to collect amounts due to you in the event that we or any officer or director violates applicable law.

Our operating company, QKL-China, is located in the PRC and substantially all of our assets are located in the PRC. Most of our current officers and directors are residents of the PRC, and most of their assets are located in the PRC. As a result, it could be difficult for investors to effect service of process on us or those persons in the United States, or to enforce a judgment obtained in the United States against us or any of these persons.

Health problems in the PRC could negatively affect our operations.

A renewed outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, or another widespread public health problem in the PRC, such as bird flu, could have an adverse effect on our ability to receive and distribute merchandise, the ability of our employees and customers to reach our stores, and other aspects of our operations. Public-safety measures such as quarantines or closures of some stores could disrupt our operations. Any of the foregoing events or other unforeseen consequences of public health problems could adversely affect our business. 

Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock

Our Chief Executive Officer beneficially owns a significant portion of our common stock and will be able to exert significant influence over us through his position and stock ownership; his interests may differ from yours, and he could cause us to take actions that are contrary to your interests and that could reduce the value of your stock.

Our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Wang, owns all of the shares of Winning State (BVI), which currently owns 795,096 shares (approximately 52.2%) of our common stock. Even assuming conversion of all of the outstanding Series A Preferred Stock and the exercise of all of the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants, Mr. Wang will own a significant portion of our outstanding common stock. As a result, Mr. Wang will be able to influence the outcome of stockholder votes on various matters, including the election of directors and extraordinary corporate transactions such as business combinations. In any such stockholder vote, Mr. Wang’s interests may differ from that of other stockholders, and he could cause us to take actions that are contrary to your interests and that could reduce the value of your stock.

We do not intend to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future; this may affect the price of our stock.

We currently intend to retain all future earnings for use in the operation and expansion of our business. We do not intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future but will review this policy as circumstances dictate. Should we decide in the future to do so, as a holding company, our ability to pay dividends and meet other obligations depends upon the receipt of dividends or other payments from Speedy Brilliant (Daqing). Speedy Brilliant (Daqing) may, from time to time, be subject to restrictions on its ability to make distributions to us, including as a result of restrictions on the conversion of local currency into United States dollars or other hard currency and other regulatory restrictions. (See “Risks related to doing business in the People’s Republic of China” above.) In addition, under the terms of the securities purchase agreement relating to the private placement, as long as any Series A Preferred Stock remains outstanding, the Company cannot pay any dividends on the common stock unless such dividends are also paid to the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock.

Our common stock is illiquid and subject to price volatility unrelated to our operations and could lose some or all of its value even if our business is strong.

The market price of our common stock could fluctuate substantially in the future due to a variety of factors, including the market perception of our ability to achieve our planned growth, quarterly operating results of other companies in the same industry, trading volume in our common stock, changes in general conditions in the economy and the financial markets or other developments affecting our competitors or us. The failure to establish and maintain an active trading market for our common stock may adversely affect our shareholders’ ability to sell our common stock in short periods of time, or at all. Trading of our common stock has been sporadic and our common stock has experienced, and may experience in the future, significant price and volume fluctuations. Future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the trading market could adversely affect market prices.

The resale in the public market of the shares underlying the Series A Preferred Stock issued in the March 2008 private placement and of the shares acquired prior to the private placement may cause the market value of our common stock to fall.

In August 2009, we registered for resale 86,285 shares of our common stock by certain selling stockholders. As of October 18, 2013, there were issued and outstanding (i) 1,522,326 shares of common stock, and (ii) 529,412 shares of Series A Preferred Stock (convertible into 22,059 shares of common stock). Assuming conversion of all of the Series A Preferred Stock, there will be 1,544,385 shares of common stock outstanding. Many of our shares, including all of the shares underlying the Series A Preferred Stock, are currently eligible for resale under Rule 144.

Also, as a result of our public offering in the fourth quarter of 2009 of 287,500 shares of common stock, there is a significant number of new shares of common stock in the market. Sales of substantial amounts of common stock, or the perception that such sales could occur under Rule 144 or otherwise, could reduce the market price of our common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of our equity securities.

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any information or to make any representations about us, the selling stockholders, the securities or any matter discussed in this prospectus, other than the information and representations contained in this prospectus. If any other information or representation is given or made, such information or representation may not be relied upon as having been authorized by us or any selling stockholder.

The selling stockholders are offering to sell and seeking offers to buy shares of our common stock including shares they may acquire on conversion of their Series A Preferred Stock, only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in any circumstances under which the offer or solicitation is unlawful.

The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale of our common stock. Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor any distribution of securities in accordance with this prospectus shall, under any circumstances, imply that there has been no change in our affairs since the date of this prospectus. The prospectus will be updated and updated prospectuses made available for delivery to the extent required by the federal securities laws.