Aritzia Inc.’s United States enlargement technique is continuous to repay. The Vancouver-based ladies’s attire retailer reported Thursday that internet income within the fourth quarter of fiscal yr 2025 reached $895 million, exceeding its outlook and placing it in sturdy place to climate the challenges posed by U.S. tariffs.
The corporate stated the energy of its U.S. enterprise helped carry internet income up 31 per cent year-over-year within the fourth quarter, which ended March 2. Excluding internet income earned within the further week within the fourth quarter of fiscal yr 2024, internet income elevated 38 per cent.
U.S. internet income grew 48 per cent year-over-year to $548 million, or 56 per cent excluding the additional week in This fall. The retailer stated it continues to see a protracted runway for development within the U.S. and plans to broaden its attain to 5 new cities this yr.
Aritzia chief govt Jennifer Wong stated on a name with analysts that optimized stock place, strategic advertising investments and a document variety of boutique openings all fuelled “accelerated momentum” within the U.S. and Canada, each in retailer and on-line.
“In fiscal 2026, we stay centered on our profitable actual property technique, which continues to show itself again and again,” she stated.
Opening 4 new U.S. shops within the fourth quarter, in addition to the repositioned Fifth Avenue flagship boutique in Manhattan, helped drive a 24 per cent improve in retail internet income year-over-year. Excluding final yr’s further week, retail internet income elevated 31 per cent.
On-line visitors development helped e-commerce internet income improve 42 per cent, or 48 per cent excluding the additional week.
Whereas softness within the Canadian market was a priority over the past yr, Canadian internet income grew to $347 million, a rise of 11 per cent or 16 per cent excluding the additional week.
Chief monetary officer Todd Ingledew stated whereas U.S. tariffs pose a “important problem” to the retail trade, Aritzia already acquired the “overwhelming majority of stock required to fulfill demand for our spring-summer season” previous to U.S. tariffs kicking in.
“At the moment, 40 per cent of our income is generated outdoors the USA and we’ve already available virtually half of the stock we anticipate needing for this fiscal yr,” he stated.
Ingledew stated the corporate is working to offset the affect of tariffs by 4 methods: decreasing prices throughout the enterprise, partnering with suppliers to assist take up added prices, specializing in multi-year preliminary markup alternatives and shifting manufacturing to nations with decrease tariffs.
Aritzia’s manufacturing is unfold out over 13 nations throughout 4 continents, with the vast majority of it happening in China, Vietnam and Cambodia. Wong stated the corporate has diminished its manufacturing in China from 25 per cent to twenty per cent and is working to carry that quantity all the way down to a mid-single-digit share by spring of subsequent yr.
Branching out to new suppliers and new nations was already within the works, Wong stated, however tariffs accelerated the method.
“This has been a part of our present technique to diversify now for practically a decade,” she stated.
Aritzia evaluates its pricing on a seasonal foundation, however Wong stated the corporate at the moment doesn’t see the necessity to decide to growing costs due to tariffs.
“If we execute as we’re setting out on all 4 of these mitigation methods, pricing shouldn’t be a main lever at this time limit,” she stated.
The corporate reported a powerful liquidity place on the finish of the fourth quarter, with practically $286 million in money, zero debt and no cash drawn from its $300 million revolving credit score facility.
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Trying forward, Aritzia forecasted internet income for the primary quarter of fiscal 2026 to be within the vary of $620 million to $640 million. The corporate plans to open a minimal of 12 new boutiques and 5 repositioned shops within the subsequent fiscal yr, in addition to rolling out a world commerce web site and cellular app.
“I’m assured we’ll efficiently navigate the present exterior uncertainty, together with tariffs and the potential affect on our customers,” stated Wong. “Our profitable 40-plus yr monitor document demonstrates our resilience throughout various financial situations.”
Aritzia shares have been up greater than 15 per cent as of mid-Friday, to $57.42.
• E-mail: jswitzer@postmedia.com
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