BC
Better Choice Co Inc. (BTTR)·Q3 2024 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q3 delivered a meaningful sequential step-up: revenue rose 33% QoQ to $11.40m, gross margin improved to 40% (+165 bps QoQ; +600 bps YoY), and the company posted its first profitable quarter in years with adjusted EBITDA “just over” $0.20m (2% margin) and GAAP net income of $1.5m ($0.74 EPS) .
- 9M 2024 net sales were $28m vs $33m in 9M 2023 as management exited unprofitable channels and closed legacy DTC; digital momentum and APAC strength are now offsetting the purposeful revenue reset .
- International/APAC was the primary driver (APAC +92% QoQ; +9% YoY), while domestic digital grew ~10% YoY, supported by improved fill rates (97%) and better S&OP execution .
- No formal quantified guidance was provided; management emphasized durable margin/FCF improvement and operating leverage, and highlighted pending SRx Health acquisition (expected close early Q1’25) as a broadened health/wellness platform catalyst .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Margin and profitability inflection: gross margin reached 40% (+600 bps YoY; +165 bps QoQ) on improved co-supply terms and scale; adjusted EBITDA turned positive (“just over” $0.20m, 2% margin), marking the first profitable quarter in years; GAAP net income was $1.5m, EPS $0.74 .
- Channel execution improved: APAC sales +92% QoQ and +9% YoY; domestic digital +10% YoY; new-to-brand consumers +23% QoQ and repeat units +20% QoQ on the largest e-commerce platform; average fill rate reached 97% .
- Working capital and liquidity strengthened: net working capital improved to $9.5m vs $3.1m last quarter; the company raised just under $5m net via a public offering, supporting growth and flexibility .
Selected quotes:
- “We generated 33% quarter-over-quarter sales growth to $11.4 million, improved gross margin … to 40% and achieved the company’s first profitable quarter in years” .
- “Our ability to achieve favorable terms on our co-supply agreement resulted in gross margin accretion of 600 basis points to 40%” .
- “Our $9.5 million net working capital position compared to $3.1 million last quarter … we raised just under $5 million of net proceeds” .
What Went Wrong
- Year-to-date revenue still below prior year: 9M 2024 net sales were $28m vs $33m as the company intentionally exited unprofitable brick-and-mortar and closed legacy DTC, pressuring YoY top line .
- Profitability aided by non-operational items in prior quarter: Q2 GAAP net income ($2.65m) and EPS ($2.98) benefited from a $3.6m gain on debt extinguishment; adjusted EBITDA in Q2 remained slightly negative (≈–$0.03m) before the Q3 inflection .
- Seasonality and concentration risks: management noted the cyclical nature of international/APAC volumes with higher expected Q3 volumes, implying seasonality and potential quarter-to-quarter variability .
Financial Results
P&L snapshot (sequential comparison)
Notes: Q2 net income/EPS include a $3.6m one-time gain on extinguishment of debt .
YTD revenue trend
Operating/Channel KPIs
Guidance Changes
No quantified financial guidance was disclosed in Q3 materials reviewed .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- CEO: “We generated 33% quarter-over-quarter sales growth to $11.4 million [and] improved gross margin … to 40% and achieved the company’s first profitable quarter in years at just north of $200,000 of adjusted EBITDA.”
- CFO: “Our ability to achieve favorable terms on our co-supply agreement resulted in gross margin accretion of 600 basis points to 40% and 165 sequential basis point growth since the second quarter.”
- CEO on APAC: “We’re excited about this once-in-a-generation demographic shift … where the pet food market is experiencing rapid growth … [which] represents a tremendous opportunity.”
- CFO on liquidity: “Our $9.5 million net working capital position compared to $3.1 million last quarter … we raised just under $5 million of net proceeds … We remain bullish on the substantial flexibility that this improved working capital will continue to afford us.”
- Strategy/M&A: “We’re in the process of completing our acquisition of SRx Health … expected to close in early Q1 of 2025.”
Q&A Highlights
- The retrieved transcript ends before the Q&A session content. No Q&A exchanges were available in the retrieved document beyond management’s prepared remarks and the transition to questions .
Estimates Context
- Wall Street consensus (S&P Global) for Q3 2024 EPS, revenue, and EBITDA was not available due to missing CIQ mapping for BTTR. As such, we cannot provide a estimates vs. actuals comparison. S&P Global consensus was unavailable.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Profitability inflection appears real: gross margin at 40% and positive adjusted EBITDA for the first time in years, pointing to improved operating discipline; watch for sustainment into seasonally different quarters to validate durability .
- Digital channel KPIs (new-to-brand +23% QoQ, repeat units +20% QoQ) coupled with 97% fill rates suggest improving brand health and execution on priority platforms (Chewy, Amazon) .
- APAC is a growth lever, but seasonal: +92% QoQ in Q3 and +9% YoY underscores opportunity—and reliance—on international cycles; plan for quarterly variability even as full-year trends improve .
- Liquidity improved: net working capital rose to $9.5m (from $3.1m), supported by the equity raise; this should fund inventory and marketing to support growth while maintaining margin gains .
- YoY sales still down (9M: $28m vs $33m) as unprofitable channels were exited—near-term recovery relies on digital/APAC scaling and margin retention to offset the reset base .
- Prior quarter GAAP profitability benefited from a one-time debt extinguishment gain; Q3 shows cleaner operating improvement—track adjusted EBITDA/margin trajectory through Q4 and into 2025 .
- SRx Health acquisition is a 2025 catalyst, potentially diversifying scale and improving operating leverage across a broader health/wellness platform; closure targeted for early Q1’25 .
Appendix: Additional Context from Prior Quarter
- Q2 2024 headline results: revenue $8.54m, gross margin 38%, net income $2.65m (EPS $2.98) aided by $3.6m gain; adjusted EBITDA ≈ –$0.03m .
- Q3 2024 headline results: revenue $11.40m, gross margin 40%, net income $1.50m (EPS $0.74), adjusted EBITDA “just over” $0.20m (2% margin) .