Chewy Q1 Sales Rise AutoShip Hits Record

Core Insights - Chewy, Inc. reported Q1 FY2025 earnings with net sales of $3.12 billion, an increase of 8.3% year-over-year, and adjusted EBITDA of $192.7 million, reflecting a 6.2% adjusted EBITDA margin [1] - The company exceeded internal forecasts for growth and profitability, continuing disciplined share repurchases and making significant progress in core initiatives such as AutoShip, Chewy Plus, advertising, and veterinary clinic expansion [2] AutoShip Performance - The AutoShip subscription model accounted for 82.2% of total net sales, up from the mid-60% range at IPO, with AutoShip revenue growing 14.8% year-over-year, significantly outpacing overall company growth [3][4] - First quarter AutoShip customer sales reached $2.56 billion, representing approximately 82% of Q1 net sales, indicating strong customer loyalty [4] Market Position and Share Gains - The U.S. pet industry is expanding at an annual rate of 3%-4%, with online purchasing penetration estimated in the low-30% range; Chewy is capturing more than 50 cents of every dollar shifting to online channels, compared to 40-42 cents in previous years [5][6] - Management identified the migration to a proprietary first-party advertising platform as a key driver for 60 basis points of year-over-year gross margin expansion [6] Advertising and Revenue Streams - The new advertising system allows for scaling campaigns across on-site and off-site inventory, creating a high-margin revenue stream targeting 1%-3% of net sales [7] - The rapid ramp-up of high-contribution sponsored ads is expected to enhance gross margins and profit conversion [8] Future Guidance - Management reiterated FY2025 full-year net sales guidance of $12.3 billion–$12.45 billion, indicating 6%-7% growth, with first-half momentum suggesting a path toward the upper half of this range [10] - Adjusted EBITDA margin guidance remains at 5.4%-5.7% for FY2025, with an anticipated 80% EBITDA-to-free-cash-flow conversion, projecting about $550 million in free cash flow [11]