Top-line Growth
Net sales increased 7.2% year-over-year to $5.0 billion in Q1 FY2026, driven by 3.5% comparable store sales and a 3.7% contribution from new stores.
Strong Profitability and EPS Beat
Adjusted diluted EPS rose 38% year-over-year to $1.74, above the high end of the prior outlook; adjusted operating margin expanded 110 basis points to 9.5%.
Gross Margin Expansion
Gross margin expanded 120 basis points year-over-year, driven primarily by higher merchandise margin, freight favorability and lower shrink (partially offset by higher tariffs and markdowns).
Ticket and Category Strength
Average ticket grew 4.5% in the quarter, with comp gains across categories (discretionary +3.9% with notable strength in toys and personal care; consumables +3.2%), aided by multi-price assortment expansion.
Shrink Improvement and Operational Execution
Company reported measurable shrink improvement driven by operational initiatives (gold store standards, nonnegotiable audits, product protection and focused training), contributing to margin upside.
Inventory and Working Capital
Inventory declined 9% year-over-year while sales grew 7.2%, producing a favorable inventory-to-sales spread and supporting fresher assortments and working capital efficiency.
Cash Generation and Capital Allocation
Generated $644M in cash from operations, $392M free cash flow after $253M CapEx, ended Q1 with $1.0B cash and no commercial paper outstanding; repurchased ~5.5M shares for $595M in Q1 (additional $98M subsequent), reducing share count ~8% over 12 months and returning $1.7B to investors.
Upgraded Fiscal 2026 Outlook
Updated FY2026 guidance: net sales $20.5B–$20.7B, comparable store sales growth 3%–4%, adjusted diluted EPS $6.70–$7.10 (incorporates lower share count through date).
Progress on Store Standards and Assortment Strategy
Notable progress in fleet execution: percentage of below-standard stores reduced materially (from ~42% previously to under one-third), and multi-price assortment continues to drive relevance, ticket growth and incremental strength in everyday categories.
Marketing Capabilities Emerging
Company is scaling targeted, data-driven marketing (test-and-learn approach) to drive incremental trips and ROI; management views marketing as a growing enabler of frequency and customer engagement.