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LE

LANDS' END, INC. (LE)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q3 FY2025: Revenue was $318.6M (-1.9% YoY), GAAP diluted EPS was $(0.02), and adjusted EPS was $0.06; gross margin expanded to 50.6% (+360 bps YoY), and adjusted EBITDA rose to $20.3M (+17% YoY) .
  • Brand health strengthening: GMV grew low-double digits (above guidance), new customer acquisition rose 20% YoY (mid-teens YTD), and inventories declined 20% YoY; these supported higher-quality sales and margin gains .
  • Guidance: Q4 revenue $440–$480M; adjusted EPS $0.51–$0.61; FY revenue $1.36–$1.40B, adjusted EPS $0.35–$0.45, adjusted EBITDA $92–$96M (narrowed ranges; higher EPS low end) .
  • Stock reaction catalysts: continued gross margin expansion to 50.6%, GMV outperformance vs guidance, strong licensing/marketplace traction (e.g., Nordstrom), and evidence of younger customer acquisition; watch SG&A reinvestment and school uniform timing headwinds .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

  • What Went Well

    • Gross margin reached 50.6% (+360 bps YoY) on lower promotions, better mix/newness, and supply chain cost improvements; adjusted EBITDA grew 17% YoY to $20.3M .
    • “Third quarter gross margin was the highest that I can find in any quarter going all the way back to the IPO,” highlighting execution on pricing discipline and product innovation (CEO) .
    • Demand signals: GMV grew low-double digits (above guidance), new customer acquisition +20% YoY (mid-teens YTD), and EU gross margin up ~900 bps YoY; U.S. e-comm margin +~350 bps YoY .
  • What Went Wrong

    • Revenue declined 1.9% YoY to $318.6M, with U.S. e-comm down 2.2% (transition of kids/footwear to licensing and lower promotions), and International e-comm down 4.6% on reduced markdowns .
    • SG&A deleveraged to 44.2% of revenue (+~250 bps YoY) due to higher digital marketing spend (though intended to fuel customer growth) .
    • Outfitters: school uniform revenue fell 8% YoY on timing; GAAP net loss of $(0.6)M persisted despite improved non-GAAP profitability .

Financial Results

MetricQ1 FY2025 (May 3, 2024)Q2 FY2025 (Aug 2, 2024)Q3 FY2025 (Nov 1, 2024)
Net Revenue ($M)$285.5 $317.2 $318.6
Gross Margin (%)48.7% 47.9% 50.6%
Adjusted EBITDA ($M)$11.6 $17.1 $20.3
GAAP Diluted EPS ($)$(0.20) $(0.17) $(0.02)
Adjusted Diluted EPS ($)$(0.20) $(0.02) $0.06

Segment/channel revenue snapshots (where disclosed):

Segment/Channel ($M)Q1 FY2025Q2 FY2025Q3 FY2025
Global eCommerce$195.5 $211.3 $211.1
Outfitters$42.7 $63.2 $73.4
Third Party$37.5 $30.1 $25.5

Key KPIs and balance sheet:

KPIQ1 FY2025Q2 FY2025Q3 FY2025
GMV YoY growthLow single digits Mid-single digits Low-double digits; above guidance
New customer acquisitionHigh-single digits Mid-single digits YTD +20% YoY; mid-teens YTD
Inventory YoY change-23% -21% -20%
Inventory ($M)$288.6 $312.0 $335.9

YoY context for Q3 FY2025:

  • Revenue: $318.6M vs $324.7M prior-year Q3 (-1.9%) .
  • Gross margin: 50.6% vs 47.0% (+360 bps) .
  • Adjusted EBITDA: $20.3M vs $17.3M (+17%) .
  • Adjusted EPS: $0.06 vs $(0.11) prior-year Q3 .

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Net Revenue ($B)FY 2024$1.35 – $1.43 $1.36 – $1.40 Narrowed; midpoint slightly lower
Adjusted EBITDA ($M)FY 2024$90 – $98 $92 – $96 Narrowed; midpoint maintained
Adjusted Diluted EPS ($)FY 2024$0.29 – $0.48 $0.35 – $0.45 Raised low end; narrowed
Net Revenue ($M)Q4 FY2024N/A$440 – $480 New
Adjusted Diluted EPS ($)Q4 FY2024N/A$0.51 – $0.61 New
Adjusted EBITDA ($M)Q4 FY2024N/A$43 – $47 New
Capex ($M)FY 2024~$35 ~$35 Maintained

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicQ1 FY2025 (Jun)Q2 FY2025 (Sep)Q3 FY2025 (Dec)Trend
Margin expansion via lower promos/newness410 bps GM expansion; outfit-centric assortment; higher AURs 470 bps GM expansion; highest since 2014 by promo discipline GM 50.6% (+360 bps), “highest since IPO” comment; quality sales maintained Improving/stable
Supply chain/nearshoringSpeed-to-market, Western Hemisphere sourcing push More nearshoring; freight mitigated; inventories at historical lows Fabric moved closer to production; resilience highlighted Structural improvement
Licensing strategyKids/footwear to licenses; Costco launch; home license announced Nordstrom marketplace added; licensing drives diversification 80/20 target (licensed share); exploring beauty, luggage, fragrance; international licensing Expanding breadth
Third-party marketplacesManaging closely with DTC; Costco pilot success Nordstrom marketplace launched; partner-specific assortments Nordstrom exceeded expectations; club channel strong; 80% marketplace buyers are new/5+ year lapsed Accretive for customer acquisition
B2B/OutfittersRe-tooled; deprioritized promos; pipeline building Wells Fargo multi-year win (35k employees) Business uniform +7% YoY; Wells ramp; school uniforms timing drag short-term Positive mix; timing noise
Marketing and customer mixSocial doubled demand; high-single-digit new-to-file Younger cohorts (10 years younger), new-to-file up; lower promo rates New customers +20% YoY; continued younger cohorts; reinvest in marketing Efficient reinvestment

Management Commentary

  • “Throughout the third quarter, we sustained momentum… resulting in growth in both gross margin and gross profit dollars.” (CEO) .
  • “Our third quarter gross margin was the highest that I can find in any quarter going all the way back to the IPO.” (CEO) .
  • “GMV increased low double digits for the third quarter… exceeded our guidance.” (CFO) .
  • “China now accounts for less than 6% of our open to buy… we’re progressively moving towards Western Hemisphere.” (CEO) .
  • “New customers… are 10 to 12 years younger… and buying at a higher average unit retail.” (Mgmt) .

Q&A Highlights

  • Promotional discipline and customer acquisition: Management reiterated staying out of industry-wide heavy promos, using brand/assortment and targeted campaigns; cited Black Friday/Cyber Monday in line with expectations and new, younger cohorts engagement .
  • China/tariffs risk: Limited exposure (<6% OTB), with Western Hemisphere sourcing strategy mitigating geopolitical risks (cashmere a small category exception) .
  • Licensing mix and criteria: Targeting ~20% of sales via licensing with 5–10 licensees; adding home in 2025; evaluating beauty, luggage, fragrance; prioritizing established partners with aligned brand values and economics (royalties/minimums) .
  • Inventory normalization: After seven quarters of reductions, levels viewed as normalized going forward, with further process efficiencies and nearshoring benefits .
  • GMV vs revenue dynamic: Revenue pressured by kids/footwear license transition (heavier in Q4) while GMV captures Lands’ End branded sell-through across licensed and third-party channels .
  • Third-party flywheel: Nordstrom marketplace outperformed; marketplace sales sourced from single inventory reduce risk and deliver customer data; ~80% of marketplace customers are new or long-lapsed .

Estimates Context

  • We attempted to retrieve S&P Global consensus (revenue and EPS) for Q3 FY2025, but S&P Global data was unavailable due to provider request limits at the time of analysis. As a result, we cannot present beat/miss versus Wall Street consensus for this quarter. We anchor to company guidance/results instead [SPGI retrieval error].

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Margin-led turnaround continues: Gross margin at 50.6% and adjusted EBITDA up 17% YoY demonstrate pricing discipline and mix improvements; this remains the core equity driver near term .
  • Demand quality > topline: GMV rose low-double digits and exceeded guidance while reported revenue dipped YoY due to licensing transitions—elevated gross profit dollars and new customer growth (+20% YoY) support the quality-over-volume strategy .
  • Reinvestment is working: Higher marketing spend lifted SG&A rate but delivered younger, higher-AUR customers and broad channel engagement; watch operating leverage as revenue scales .
  • Structural tailwinds: Nearshoring and faster turns should preserve margin gains and working capital efficiency; inventories down 20% YoY and management views levels as normalized .
  • Licensing/marketplaces broaden reach: Nordstrom marketplace, club partners, and new licenses (home in 2025) underscore an asset-light path to share gains, with a disciplined 80/20 target mix .
  • FY guide narrowed: Revenue range tightened with a slightly lower midpoint; adjusted EPS range raised at the low end and narrowed overall; Q4 guide sets expectations for holiday execution .
  • Monitor risks: Promotional environment, school uniform timing, and SG&A reinvestment cadence could influence near-term EPS trajectory despite robust margin trends .

Appendix: Additional Detail Tables

Q3 FY2025 vs Prior-Year Q3 and Prior Quarter

MetricQ3 FY2024 (Prior-Year)Q2 FY2025 (Prior Qtr)Q3 FY2025
Net Revenue ($M)$324.7 $317.2 $318.6
Gross Margin (%)47.0% 47.9% 50.6%
Adjusted EBITDA ($M)$17.3 $17.1 $20.3
Adjusted Diluted EPS ($)$(0.11) $(0.02) $0.06

Selected Channel Commentary (Q3 FY2025)

  • U.S. eCommerce: -2.2% YoY; excluding kids/footwear license transition, low-double-digit growth YoY .
  • International eCommerce: -4.6% YoY on lower markdowns; EU GM +~900 bps YoY .
  • Outfitters: $73.4M (-1.2% YoY); business uniform +7% YoY; school uniform -8% YoY on timing .
  • Third Party: $25.5M (+6.3% YoY) on licensing growth .

Sources: Q3 FY2025 press release and 8-K ; Q3 FY2025 earnings call transcript ; Q2 FY2025 press release/call ; Q1 FY2025 press release/call .