Grocery Outlet Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Comparable Sales Rise Y/Y

Core Insights - Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. reported second-quarter 2025 results with net sales of $1.180 billion, a 4.5% year-over-year increase, but slightly below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.183 billion [3][10] - Adjusted earnings per share were 23 cents, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 17 cents but down from 25 cents in the same quarter last year [3][10] - Comparable sales grew by 1.1% year over year, driven by a 1.5% increase in transaction volume, although average transaction value declined by 0.4% [4][10] Financial Performance - Gross profit increased by 3.3% year over year to $360.7 million, while gross margin decreased by 30 basis points to 30.6% due to pricing changes aimed at attracting budget-conscious shoppers [5] - Selling, general and administrative expenses rose by 4.2% to $336.8 million, but as a percentage of net sales, it decreased by 10 basis points to 28.5% [6] - Adjusted EBITDA was $67.7 million, a slight decrease of 0.2% from the previous year, with an adjusted EBITDA margin decline of 30 basis points to 5.7% [7] Store Expansion and Strategy - The company opened 11 new stores and closed 2, bringing the total to 552 stores across 16 states [8] - Management plans to open 33-35 net new stores in 2025, with comparable store sales figures now including locations acquired from United Grocery Outlet [8] Future Outlook - For fiscal 2025, the company expects net sales between $4.7 billion and $4.8 billion, with comparable store sales growth of 1-2% and a gross margin projected between 30% and 30.5% [14] - Adjusted EBITDA is forecasted to be between $260 million and $270 million, and adjusted earnings per share guidance has been raised to 75-80 cents from 70-75 cents [14] - For the third quarter of 2025, comparable store sales growth is anticipated to be between 1.5% and 2%, with nine net new stores expected to be added [15]