Vitamin Shoppe Q3 Profit Flat - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - Vitamin Shoppe Inc. (VSI), a multi-channel specialty retailer of nutritional products, said that net income for third quarter 2013 was $16.27 million, compared to $16.29 million last year.

Reported earnings per share were $0.53 in third quarter 2013 compared with $0.54 in third quarter 2012 and includes $0.02 per share of integration costs related to the Super Supplements acquisition. In addition, earnings per share benefitted from a lower effective tax rate in both third-quarter of 2013 and third-quarter of 2012, of $0.02 and $0.05 per share, respectively, which primarily reflects the reversal of charges previously recorded related to uncertain tax positions due to the expiration of applicable statutes of limitation.

Total net sales in the quarter increased 14.0% to $272.5 million compared to $239.0 million in the same period of the prior year. Sales growth in the quarter was driven by: 1) a 2.6% increase in comparable retail store sales, 2) the contribution from Super Supplements retail stores of $17.0 million, 3) growth from non-comp stores, and 4) a 17.7% increase in e-commerce sales, including a 6.0% contribution from Super Supplements online sales.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report earnings of $0.52 per share and revenues of $273.87 million. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

For 2013, the company expects Low to mid single digit comparable store sales growth, and to open approximately 50 new stores.

For 2014, the company expects mid single digit comparable store sales growth, and to open approximately 60 new stores.