Return to Top-Line Growth
Fiscal '26 revenue grew 1% for the full year (first year of growth in 3 years). Q4 revenue was $2.2 billion, up 3% year-over-year and above guidance (guided Q4 flat to +2%).
Gross Margin Expansion
FY '26 gross margin expanded to ~55.2% (Abhishek cited ~360 basis points improvement vs FY '24 including portfolio actions). Q4 gross margin was 56.4%, up ~240 basis points year-over-year (note: Q4 included a roughly $50M tariff receivable benefit).
Operating Margin and Profitability Progress
FY '26 adjusted operating margin reached 7% (management highlighted a ~220 bps expansion vs FY '24 including Dickies). Company reiterated medium-term target of a 10% exit run-rate operating margin in FY '28.
Balance Sheet Deleverage and Cash Flow Improvement
Net debt (excluding leases) was reduced materially (management cited a fall from $5.8B to $2.7B). Normalized free cash flow was $405M (excludes a one-time $100M pension termination benefit; total FCF including pension benefit was $505M), up ~$90M versus prior year.
Strong Brand-Level Performance — The North Face & Altra
The North Face grew 7% in Q4 with the Americas up ~16% and delivered five consecutive double-digit footwear growth quarters. Altra delivered exceptional momentum: Q4 revenue +45%, FY growth >30% with revenues surpassing $270M and management calling it a potential $1B+ brand over time.
Timberland Improvement and DTC Strength
Timberland grew 2% in Q4; DTC was up 8% driven by full-price stores. Management opened 11 full-price Timberland stores with strong early productivity and is resetting apparel to improve head-to-toe proposition.
Vans DTC Turnaround Signals
Vans Q4 was down 5% globally, but Americas DTC was a highlight: e-commerce turned positive in Q3 and Americas DTC grew ~5% in Q4. Management emphasized DTC as a leading indicator for broader wholesale recovery.
Operational Improvements — Speed, Inventory Discipline and Cost Savings
Speed-to-market improved (example: Vans pulled forward product cycles to ~77 days for certain launches). Inventories declined ~11% in constant currency; inventory days improved. Sustained SG&A savings exceeded $225M run-rate since FY '24 (ex-Dickies). Company is leveraging AI, improved markdown analytics and a faster commerce platform.