Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. reported disappointing second-quarter results on Tuesday, with margins taking a hit. While theft was blamed for affecting margins, it was the company’s efforts to sell off excess inventory that played a larger role in the decline.
Analysts on Wall Street were not pleased with the results either. Wedbush analysts downgraded the company from outperform to neutral, while UBS analyst Michael Lasser highlighted the lack of clarity in Dick’s results and compared the situation to “canoeing without a paddle.” Stifel analysts also expressed concern.
According to Stifel analysts, the results reflect consumer preference for footwear and team sports, while challenges in the apparel segment have led to pricing actions to stabilize sales. The sudden acknowledgement of shrink as a key margin headwind is worrisome, and it is expected to persist into FY24.
Following the announcement, shares of Dick’s Sporting Goods slipped 0.3% on Wednesday, but saw a significant tumble of 22% on Tuesday, marking the company’s first earnings miss in three years.
During the earnings call, executives highlighted “shrink,” which refers to losses from theft, fraud, or employee error, as accounting for one-third of the decline in merchandise margins in Q2. They also anticipated that shrinkage would continue to put pressure on financials for the remainder of the year.
However, Chief Financial Officer Navdeep Gupta stated that the primary driver of the margin decline was the company’s proactive efforts to clear out stockrooms and maintain fresh product assortments. Gupta used outdoor products as an example of this strategy, explaining that they made a purposeful decision to keep their inventory clean and take decisive actions in the outdoor category.
Overall, Dick’s Sporting Goods faces challenges in maintaining margins due to theft and efforts to reduce excess inventory, but it remains focused on refreshing its product offerings to meet consumer demands.
Dick’s Sporting Goods Remains Strong Amidst Challenging Retail Environment
Retailers across various industries have faced the need to cut prices in order to stimulate demand, and the athletic gear sector is no exception. Both Nike and Foot Locker have experienced softer sales and weaker demand, leading some analysts to question the level of enthusiasm for outdoor activities following the pandemic. However, Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO, Lauren Hobart, stated that the company’s efforts to clear out unsold inventory should not be mistaken for a return to widespread discounting.
Hobart emphasized, “This is not a return to a promotional environment in any way, shape, or form. We are being strategic in keeping our inventory fresh, and we expect to see growth in gross margin for the remainder of the year.”
The issue of shrinkage has gained more attention during quarterly earnings calls within the retail industry over the past two years. Executives from Target and Foot Locker have both identified it as a growing problem. Media reports often connect frequent crime incidents, such as coordinated heists and store closures, to shrinkage. However, some analysts argue that crime data can be influenced by various factors, and even retailers themselves, like Walgreens Boots Alliance, have retracted previous claims of theft-related complaints.
Measuring shrinkage varies among different retailers, according to a representative from the National Retail Federation. When conducting studies on this metric, the industry group asks respondents to quantify their shrinkage figures based on the retail value or the amount customers actually pay. In 2021, the National Retail Federation reported $94.5 billion in losses due to shrinkage, a figure consistent with previous years.
Despite Dick’s Sporting Goods experiencing a drop in stock value, several analysts found positive elements in their recent results. Raymond James analysts specifically highlighted the company’s strong traffic performance in the second quarter, with transactions increasing by 2.8%. This positive performance amidst a challenging discretionary spending climate reinforces the notion that Dick’s Sporting Goods is maintaining its share of the consumer wallet and outperforming other discretionary goods categories.
