Revenue Growth
Total sales reached $5.3 billion, up 3.3% year-over-year, with total food sales growth of 3.1% driven by new store openings and conversions.
Same-Store Sales Momentum
Food same-store sales grew 1.6% (1.9% when adjusted for a shifted pre-Christmas shopping day); pharmacy same-store sales rose 3.9% with prescription sales up 5.1% and front store sales up 1.3% (1.7% adjusted).
Adjusted Profitability Improvement
Adjusted EBITDA (excluding $21.6M of direct freezer costs) was $504.2 million, up 4.7% year-over-year and 9.5% of sales (an increase of 13 basis points versus Q1 2025).
Adjusted EPS Growth
Adjusted fully diluted net earnings per share were $1.16 versus $1.10 last year, an increase of 5.5% year-over-year; adjusted net earnings were $248.7 million, up 1.3%.
Strong Online and Private Label Performance
Online sales grew 25.8% in the quarter (driven by third-party marketplaces, ramped click-and-collect and new delivery in discount banners); private label sales continued to outperform national brands.
Capital Allocation and Shareholder Returns
Q1 share repurchases of 1 million shares for $98.7 million (average $98.72); Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.475 (annualized $1.63), up 10.1% — marking the 32nd consecutive year of dividend growth with a payout of ~32% of last year's adjusted net earnings.
Investments and Growth Plans
Q1 CapEx was $61.9 million with FY26 CapEx expected to be ~ $550 million to continue investing in the retail network; opened three food stores in Q1 and added 88,600 sq. ft. (+0.4% of food retail square footage); plan for about a dozen discount stores in 2026.
Operational Recovery from Toronto Freezer Shutdown
Temporary shutdown of the frozen food distribution center in Toronto has been fully resolved and operations have resumed; contingency plan maintained supply across Ontario stores.