Stater Bros. Sales And Customers Increase In The Third Quarter Of 2013

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Aug. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Jack H. Brown, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stater Bros. Holdings Inc. announced financial results for the thirteen week and thirty-nine week periods ended June 30, 2013.

The Company's consolidated sales in the thirteen weeks ended June 30, 2013 were $968.8 million up $19.0 million or 2.00% from the thirteen weeks ended June 24, 2012 consolidated sales of $949.8 million.  Prior year's third quarter sales were affected by the Easter Holiday which fell in the third quarter of fiscal 2012 and in the second quarter of fiscal 2013.  Without the impact of the Easter Holiday sales in the third quarter, fiscal 2013 sales increased $29.8 million or 3.18% over the same period of the previous year.

The Company's thirty-nine weeks ended June 30, 2013 sales were $2.9 billion up $51.2 million or 1.80% from the thirty-nine week prior year sales of $2.8 billion.

Like store sales increased 3.18% for the thirteen weeks ended June 30, 2013 and 1.80% for the thirty-nine weeks of fiscal 2013 compared to the same periods of the prior year. 

The Company reported net income for the third quarter ended June 30, 2013 of $10.0 million compared to net income of $7.3 million for third quarter of the prior year.   Net income for the thirty-nine week period of fiscal 2013 was $27.0 million compared to $32.7 million for the thirty-nine week period of fiscal 2012.

Brown said, "We are pleased with both our sales growth and growth in customer counts in the quarter and the thirty-nine weeks of fiscal 2013.

"We believe that these growths are due to our 'Valued Customers'' positive response to our 'Low Price' marketing strategy of keeping our prices as low as possible during these continued challenging economic times while continuing to provide our customers the service and value they deserve on each of their visits to their local Stater Bros. supermarket. 

"At the beginning of the economic downturn, which has had such a negative impact on our customers, I said that we were in this together with them and the way to retain our customers was to share their pain by keeping our prices low, where possible not passing on the effect of inflation, and continuing to provide them with outstanding service.  We have maintained this strategy over the past several years and we continue to see the positive impact on our sales growth.  The reduction in our current year-to-date net income reflects a decrease in gross profit margins.  We have sacrificed gross margin in the current year periods in order to continue to hold our low prices."

Stater Bros. is the largest privately owned Supermarket Chain in Southern California and the largest private employer in both San Bernardino County and Riverside County, with annual sales in 2012 of $3.9 billion.  The Company currently operates 166 Supermarkets, and there are over 18,000 members of the Stater Bros. Supermarket Family. 

STATER BROS ... PROUDLY SERVING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FAMILIES FOR 77 YEARS

Contact: Dave Harris
Senior Vice President Finance
Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (909) 733-5080

SOURCE Stater Bros. Holdings Inc.