Empire Reports EPS of $1.04 in the First Quarter of Fiscal 2027 Results

• Earnings per share ("EPS") of $1.04, an increase of 14.3%
• Sales of $8,475 million, an increase of 2.6%
• Same-store sales⁽¹⁾ growth - food increased by 1.2%
• Operating income increased by 7.6%
• EBITDA⁽¹⁾ margin of 8.4%, an increase of 30 basis points

STELLARTON, NS, Sept. 10, 2026 /CNW/ -- Empire Company Limited ("Empire" or the "Company") (TSX: EMP.A) today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended August 1, 2026. For the quarter, the Company recorded net earnings of $233 million ($1.04 per share) compared to $212 million ($0.91 per share) last year, an increase of 9.9% (or 14.3% on a per share basis).

"We delivered a strong first quarter, driven by disciplined execution across the business and progress against our strategic priorities," said Pierre St-Laurent, President and CEO. "Our banners are competing effectively across the country, and our results reflect the strength of our operations, increasing productivity and efficiency, and our continued focus on delivering value for Canadians."

Strategic Focus

The Company's ambition is to be the best retailer in Canada, providing quality and value with differentiated offerings and seamless experiences, with a strong focus on serving local cultures in every community. Empire recently launched its new three-year corporate strategy which is anchored to four core priority focus areas: Customers, Stores, Growth, and Cost Efficiency. Empire's belief is that long-term success is driven not solely by scale or market presence, but by the quality of the relationships the teammates in stores build with customers and the experiences they consistently deliver.

The Company prides itself on being a family nurturing families and its purpose is to serve the grocery shopping needs of millions of Canadians across the country.

Technology is a critical enabler of Empire's strategy. Advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and modern digital platforms are being applied thoughtfully across the business to enhance the customer experience, support better decision making and improve how Empire's teams work every day.

Through these four core priority focus areas, which will be enabled by Empire's people, data and technology, the Company aims to grow total adjusted EPS over the long-term through sustained net earnings growth and share repurchases. Specifically, the Company intends to continue growing sales, expanding gross margin (excluding fuel), and generating operating leverage.

For additional information, please see the "Strategic Focus" section of the first quarter fiscal 2027 Management's Discussion & Analysis ("MD&A").

^{(1) See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures & Financial Metrics" section of the first quarter fiscal 2027 MD&A.}

SUMMARY RESULTS - FIRST QUARTER 

^{Note: There were no adjusting items in the first quarter of fiscal 2027 or in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Accordingly, the amounts of adjusted operating income, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net earnings were equal to their respective closest IFRS  reported amounts for both quarters.}

^{(1) See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures & Financial Metrics" section of the first quarter fiscal 2027 MD&A.
(2) Attributable to owners of the Company.}

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE BY SEGMENT

Food Retailing

The following is a review of Empire's Food retailing segment's financial performance, comprising the consolidated results of Sobeys for the quarter ended August 1, 2026.

The following financial information is Sobeys' contribution to Empire as the amounts are net of consolidated adjustments.

^{(1) See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures & Financial Metrics" section of the first quarter fiscal 2027 MD&A.
(2) Attributable to owners of the Company.}

The following table provides a breakdown of the Company's total sales for the Food retailing segment:

Investments and Other Operations

The following table provides a summary of operating income in the Investments and Other Operations segment:

^{(1) Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust ("Crombie REIT").}

Empire Company Limited Operating Results

Sales

Food sales for the quarter ended August 1, 2026 increased by 1.7% primarily driven by positive growth across the business, particularly in the Full-Service and Discount banners.

Fuel sales for the quarter ended August 1, 2026 increased by 18.4% primarily driven by higher fuel prices.

Gross Profit

Gross profit for the quarter ended August 1, 2026 increased by 1.5% primarily driven by higher food sales, strong performance and operational discipline in Full-Service and Discount banners.

Gross margin for the quarter ended August 1, 2026 decreased to 26.8% from 27.1% in the comparative quarter in the prior year, primarily due to the mix impact of higher fuel sales, and an increase in supply chain costs as a result of higher fuel costs, partially offset by strong performance and operational discipline in Full-Service.

Excluding the mix impact of fuel sales, gross margin for the quarter ended August 1, 2026 was consistent with the comparative quarter in the prior year.

Operating Income

For the quarter ended August 1, 2026, operating income from the Food retailing segment increased mainly due to higher sales and gross profit and lower selling and administrative expenses, partially offset by an increase in depreciation and amortization.

For the quarter ended August 1, 2026, operating income from the Investments and other operations segment decreased primarily as a result of the Company's investment in Scene+, driven by elevated costs from an increased level of member participation and loyalty program point redemptions, compared to the same quarter in the prior year.

EBITDA

For the quarter ended August 1, 2026, EBITDA increased to $712 million from $671 million in the comparative quarter in the prior year mainly as a result of higher sales and gross profit and lower selling and administrative expenses. Selling and administrative expenses decreased mainly due to lower incentive program expenses and accruals which were elevated in the comparative quarter in the prior year by share price appreciation and increased vesting level, the gain on buyout of the pension annuity and a decrease in e-commerce expenses driven by the closure of the Calgary CFC at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2026. The decrease was partially offset by continued investment in business expansion. EBITDA margin increased to 8.4% (August 2, 2025 - 8.1%).

Depreciation and Amortization

For the quarter ended August 1, 2026, depreciation and amortization increased to $301 million from $289 million in the comparative quarter in the prior year mainly as a result of higher right-of-use ("ROU") asset depreciation and new lease agreements.

Income Taxes

For the quarter ended August 1, 2026, the effective income tax rate was 26.1% compared to 26.0% in the same quarter in the prior year. The effective tax rate was lower than the statutory rate primarily due to consolidated structured entities taxed at lower rates, the benefit of investment tax credits and non-taxable capital items. The effective tax rate in the same quarter in the prior year was lower than the statutory rate primarily due to non-taxable capital items, and consolidated structured entities which are taxed at lower rates.

Net Earnings

^{(1) Attributable to owners of the Company.}

Capital Expenditures

The Company invested $220 million in capital expenditures⁽¹⁾ for the quarter ended August 1, 2026 (August 2, 2025 - $138 million) including store renovations, construction of new stores and investments in advanced analytics technology and other technology systems.

^{(1) Capital expenditures are calculated on an accrual basis and includes acquisitions of property, equipment and investment properties, and additions to intangibles.}

Free Cash Flow

^{(1) Proceeds on disposal of assets include property, equipment and investment property.
(2) See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures & Financial Metrics" section of the first quarter fiscal 2027 MD&A.}

For the quarter ended August 1, 2026, free cash flow increased versus the comparative quarter in the prior year primarily as a result of an increase in cash flows from operating activities, partially offset by an increase in capital investments and intangibles, and a decrease in proceeds on disposal of assets and lease modifications and terminations. The increase in cash flows from operating activities is driven by non-cash working capital changes, and a decrease in income taxes paid.

Normal Course Issuer Bid ("NCIB")

Under the NCIB with the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") from July 2, 2025 to July 1, 2026, the Company repurchased 8,279,136 (July 1, 2025 - 9,956,481) Non-Voting Class A shares at a weighted average price of $49.59 (July 1, 2025 - $42.34) for a total consideration of $411 million (July 1, 2025 - $422 million).

On June 19, 2026, the Company renewed its NCIB by filing a notice of intention with the TSX to repurchase for cancellation up to 10,750,000 Non-Voting Class A shares representing approximately 9.6% of the public float. The Company believes that repurchasing shares at the prevailing market prices from time to time is a worthwhile use of funds and in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders. Repurchases under the renewed NCIB may commence on July 2, 2026 and shall terminate no later than July 1, 2027. As of August 1, 2026, the Company repurchased 211,716 Non-Voting Class A shares under this filing at a weighted average price of $49.05  for a total consideration of $10 million.

The following table summarizes share repurchase activity in the quarter:

For the quarter ended August 1, 2026, the Company has recognized tax on the repurchase of equity of $2 million (August 2, 2025 - $2 million) respectively, as a charge to retained earnings on the unaudited Interim Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Fiscal year-to-date, as at September 8, 2026, the Company has purchased for cancellation 1,964,590 Non-Voting Class A shares (September 10, 2025 - 2,139,401) at weighted average price of $48.37 (September 10, 2025 - $53.76) for a total consideration of $95 million (September 10, 2025 - $115 million).

BUSINESS UPDATES

Expansion and Growth

The Company is building a larger, stronger network by adding new stores to its network, optimizing its portfolio through store conversions, and pursuing strategic acquisitions. For the quarter ended August 1, 2026, the Company's expansion and growth updates are presented below:

FreshCo

The Company is continuing to expand its FreshCo discount banner across the country. On August 20, 2026, the Company opened its first two FreshCo stores in Atlantic Canada and expects to open 13 more stores across Western Canada, Ontario and Atlantic Canada in fiscal 2027. The FreshCo discount banner provides strong value proposition and robust multicultural assortment, providing value and choice to better serve our customers.

Mayrand Food Group Inc. Acquisition

During the quarter ended May 2, 2026, the Company, and its wholly-owned subsidiary Sobeys, announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Mayrand Food Group Inc., a long-established Québec food retailer operating four large-format locations across the Greater Montréal Area. The Company received the required court approval and regulatory approval for the transaction, which closed during the first quarter of fiscal 2027. For further details, see Note 14 of the Company's unaudited Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the quarter ended August 1, 2026.

Acquisition of Nine Morelli's Pharmacy sites (co-located in Longo's grocery stores)

Subsequent to the quarter ended August 1, 2026, the Company announced its acquisition of nine Morelli's pharmacies currently operating within Longo's stores in the Toronto and Hamilton areas. The plan is to convert these nine sites to Longo's Pharmacy locations. The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including approval from the Ontario College of Pharmacists, and is expected to close during the second quarter of fiscal 2027.

Pension Group Annuity Buy-Out

During the quarter ended May 2, 2026, the Company initiated a group annuity buy-out for its inactive defined benefit pension members of certain pension plans, for a total premium of $335 million. During the quarter ended August 1, 2026, the pension assets and related pension liabilities of $357 million were derecognized, resulting in a pre-tax settlement gain of $22 million. This transaction was part of the Company's de-risking strategy, resulting in the removal of 80% of the defined benefit funded liability for this plan.

Real Estate Partnerships

During the quarter ended August 1, 2026, the Company disposed of its interest in an equity accounted partnership. The disposal was completed through a buyout agreement where another partner acquired the Company's final interest. Total cash proceeds were $71 million, resulting in a gain of $4 million which has been recognized in other income in the Interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings (Note 9). Immediately following the buyout, the Company initiated a process to formally dissolve the partnerships.

Sustainable Business Reporting

The Company published its 2026 Sustainable Business Report in July 2026, highlighting significant advancements in achieving its Environmental, Social, and Governance ("ESG") objectives. This year's report demonstrates continued progress across the three pillars of its ESG framework: People, Planet, and Products. Notable achievements include: reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Scope 1 and 2 by 35.4% (relative to 2019), reducing its food waste by 50.3% (relative to 2016) - exceeding its 2025 target of 50%, raising and donating nearly $29 million in the 900 communities we serve to support food access, child and youth mental health, emergency response and local initiatives.

The Company remains focused on several key initiatives as part of its ongoing ESG journey, including executing on Phase Two of its Climate Action Plan to meet Scope 1 and 2 climate targets, expanding food recovery and redistribution efforts, and continuing to provide customers with sustainably sourced products to support more resilient food systems.

E-commerce

For the quarter ended August 1, 2026, the Company's e-commerce platforms Voilà (including curbside pickup), IGA.net, ThriftyFoods.com and partnerships with Instacart, Uber Eats, and DoorDash generated a combined sales increase of 11.3% compared to the same quarter in the prior year. The increase is primarily driven by growth in third-party partnership sales and continued sales growth for Voilà.

For additional information, please see the "Business Updates" section of the first quarter fiscal 2027 MD&A.

OUTLOOK

The objective of the Company is to be the best retailer in Canada, through its four priority focus areas: Customers, Stores, Growth, and Cost Efficiency. Through these focus areas, which will be enabled by Empire's people, data and technology, the Company aims to grow total adjusted EPS over the long-term through net earnings and share repurchases. The Company intends to continue growing sales, gross margin (excluding fuel) and generating operating leverage. Empire will focus on strengthening the value proposition for its customers, driving retail performance within its stores, accelerating profitable expansion growth, and continue to execute strong cost control.

The outcome of the Company's e-commerce review is expected to improve overall e-commerce financial performance with improvements in annualized operating income of approximately $95 million, which began in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, has continued in the first quarter of fiscal 2027 and will continue into fiscal 2027 and beyond. The Company is intensifying its focus on increasing customer engagement, cost discipline, operational efficiencies and accelerating execution.

For fiscal 2027, capital spend is expected to be approximately $850 million, with approximately half of this investment allocated to renovations and new store expansion (including approximately 1.5% growth in store footprint expansion driven by new stores), approximately 25% allocated to IT and business development projects and the remainder allocated largely to logistics and sustainability. The Company expects to renovate approximately 20% to 25% of its store network between fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2029.

During fiscal 2027, the Company expects aggregate pre-tax earnings from Other income plus Share of earnings from investments, at equity (both found in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Earnings), to be in the range of $90 million to $110 million (fiscal 2026 - $129 million).

For the quarter ended August 1, 2026, the Company's internal food inflation continued to be below the Consumer Price Index for food purchased from stores and was largely in line with internal food inflation from the quarter ended May 2, 2026. The Company is focused on supplier relationships and negotiations to ensure competitive pricing for customers. The Company continues to be well positioned to pursue long-term growth despite the impacts of global economic uncertainties.

Continued uncertainty related to the timing and extent of imposition of future tariffs by the United States government and the risk of potential retaliatory tariffs by the Canadian government could create volatility in the Canadian economy, including higher future costs for importing goods, potentially contributing to higher inflation if increased costs are passed to Canadian consumers. The timing and duration of increased tariffs create financial uncertainty for Canadian companies, and may lead to potential job losses, reduced economic activity, and weakening confidence in the future, and could disrupt supplier relationships and the supply chain, and this may increase the volatility in the Company's operational results.

DIVIDEND DECLARATION

The Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.2425 per share on both the Class A shares and the Class B common shares that will be payable on October 30, 2026 to shareholders of record on October 15, 2026. These dividends are eligible dividends as defined for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and applicable provincial legislation.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This document contains forward-looking statements which are presented for the purpose of assisting the reader to contextualize the Company's financial position and understand management's expectations regarding the Company's strategic priorities, objectives and plans. These forward-looking statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements are identified by words or phrases such as "anticipates", "expects", "believes", "estimates", "intends", "could", "may", "plans", "predicts", "projects", "will", "would", "foresees" and other similar expressions or the negative of these terms.

Specific forward-looking statements in this document include, but are not limited to, the Company's expectation that Other income plus Share of earnings from investments, at equity will in aggregate, be in a range of $90 million to $110 million in fiscal 2027, which assumes completion of pending real estate transactions by the Company and Share of earnings from investments, at equity being consistent with historical values adjusted for significant transactions and may be impacted by the timing and terms of completion of real estate-related transactions and actual results from Crombie REIT and real estate partners. Other forward-looking statements relate to (i) the Company's aim to increase total EPS through net earnings growth and share repurchases, as well as its intention to continue growing sales, gross margin (excluding fuel) and generating operating leverage, (ii) capital expenditures, (iii) the company's expectation that it will meet targeted store growth of FreshCo, (iv) the Company's expectation that it will improve overall e-commerce financial performance including the amount and timing of improvements in annualized operating income of approximately $95 million, (v) the Company's expectation to reinvest approximately one-third of the $95 million annualized e-commerce benefits into accelerating growth engines, (vi) the Company's expectation that the Scene+ program will accelerate engagement, (vii) the Company's expectation that it will continue to focus on driving efficiency and cost effectiveness initiatives, (viii) the Company's expectation regarding its ability to ensure competitive pricing for customers and pursue long-term growth, and (ix) the Company's plans to repurchase for cancellation Class A shares under the NCIB.

For more information on the forward-looking statements, see the "Forward-Looking Information" section of the first quarter fiscal 2027 MD&A.

By its nature, forward-looking information requires the Company to make assumptions and is subject to inherent risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements made. Other risks and uncertainties not presently known to the Company or that the Company presently believes are not material could also cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed in its forward-looking information. Additional risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company's materials filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including the "Risk Management" section of the fiscal 2026 annual MD&A.

Although the Company believes the predictions, forecasts, expectations and conclusions reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, it can provide no assurance that such matters will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which reflects the Company's expectations only as of the date of this document. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES & FINANCIAL METRICS

There are measures and metrics included in this News Release that do not have a standardized meaning under generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") and therefore may not be comparable to similarly titled measures and metrics presented by other publicly traded companies. For Empire's definition of the non-GAAP terms included in this News Release, as well as an explanation of how the non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors and additional purposes for which management uses the non-GAAP financial measures, please refer to the Company's materials filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures & Financial Metrics" section of the first quarter fiscal 2027 MD&A.

The following table reconciles gross profit on a consolidated basis:

The following table reconciles net earnings to EBITDA on a consolidated basis and for the Food retailing segment:

The following table reconciles finance costs, net to interest expense:

CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION

The Company will hold an analyst call on Thursday, September 10, 2026 beginning at 8:00 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) during which senior management will discuss the Company's financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2027. To instantly join the conference call by phone, please use the following URL to easily register yourself and be connected into the conference call automatically: https://emportal.ink/4xzYwzQ. You can also be entered to the call by an Operator by dialing (888) 699-1199 outside the Toronto area or (416) 945-7677 from within the Toronto area. 

To secure a line, please call 10 minutes prior to the conference call; you will be placed on hold until the conference call begins. The media and investing public may access this conference call via a listen mode only. You may also listen to a live audiocast of the conference call by visiting the "Quick Links" section of the Company's website located at www.empireco.ca, and then navigating to the "Empire Company Limited Quarterly Results Call" link. 

The replay will be available by dialing (888) 660-6345 and entering access code 59274 until midnight September 24, 2026, or on the Company's website for 90 days following the conference call.

ABOUT EMPIRE

Empire Company Limited (TSX: EMP.A) is a Canadian company headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. Empire's key businesses are food retailing, through wholly-owned subsidiary Sobeys Inc., and related real estate. With approximately $32 billion in annual sales and $17 billion in assets, Empire and its subsidiaries, franchisees and affiliates employ approximately 130,000 people.

Additional financial information relating to Empire, including the Company's Annual Information Form, can be found on the Company's website at www.empireco.ca or on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

SOURCE Empire Company Limited

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