PETMED EXPRESS, INC. D/B/A 1-800-PETMEDS ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL RESULTS AND A QUARTERLY DIVIDEND OF $0.30 PER SHARE
Delray Beach, Florida, July 26, 2021 - PetMed Express, Inc. (NASDAQ: PETS) today announced its financial results for its first quarter ended June 30, 2021. Net sales for the quarter ended June 30, 2021 were $79.3 million, compared to $96.2 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, but relatively flat versus the quarter ended June 30, 2019, prior to the pandemic. Net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2021 was $4.4 million, or $0.22 diluted per share, compared to net income of $7.8 million, or $0.39 diluted per share, for the same quarter the prior year, and $5.3 million or $0.26 for the quarter ended June 30, 2019. During the quarter ended June 30, 2021 there were one-time charges of $717,000 related to the CEO's separation agreement. The Company also incurred an additional cost of $260,000 related to brand and marketing consulting fees.
Mendo Akdag, the Company's CEO, commented: "In our first quarter of FY 2022, we faced a unique situation. We were coming off a very strong quarter the previous year that was primarily driven by increased online buying as a result of the pandemic causing many stores to close and many vets to be unavailable. As a result, in the first quarter of FY 2021 consumers increasingly relied on ecommerce. However, during the most recent quarter while the pandemic was abating and stores were re-opening, the advertising market was rapidly recovering with demand driving up ad prices dramatically. As a result, our advertising spending delivered fewer ad impressions than in prior years. Because of this, we believe our advertising spending was less effective in the most recent quarter in its ability to attract new customers. Ad prices may revert back to more normal levels as the pandemic further subsides which may increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our media spending and thereby continue to help us gain new customers."
Mr. Akdag added," In addition, during the most recent quarter there was a dramatic increase in veterinary visits by consumers who were unable to visit their veterinarians during the pandemic. We believe the increase in veterinary visits was primarily due to pet owners needing to visit their veterinarians for their pets' annual exam and to renew their prescriptions. Since some pet owners purchase medications directly from their vets during their veterinary visit, the Company believes this negatively impacted its sales during the quarter. We would expect to see stronger reorder sales in the back half of FY 2022, as we anticipate more prescriptions being renewed."
Gian Fulgoni, Chairman of the Board of Directors, commented: We are excited about the Company's future. We are already a leader in the online pet medication market, which has a tremendous long term growth opportunity as pet owners continue to shift their purchases to ecommerce. The Company is in a very strong financial position, with over $111 million in cash and cash equivalents and no debt. We have two new board members on the slate for the annual shareholders' meeting this week, who each bring deep ecommerce and marketing experience to the board, and we are well underway with our search for a new CEO. Going forward, we anticipate that the introduction of new media strategies and value-added services will successfully broaden our customer base. We will also continue investing in our ecommerce platform to better service our customers by adding additional features to our website to further drive sales, like AutoShip & Save, which was launched on our ecommerce platform last week. Our customers responded very positively and enrollment in AutoShip & Save was strong in this first week. We anticipate many more of our reorder sales will transition to AutoShip & Save by the end of our fiscal year."
Finally, the Company would like to acknowledge its current CEO Mendo Akdag, who will be leaving the Company on July 30, 2021. The Company is very appreciative of Mendo's leadership, vision, and dedication over the past 20 years, and wishes him the best in his future endeavors.
The Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share on the Company's common stock. The dividend will be payable on August 13, 2021, to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 6, 2021. The Company intends to continue to pay regular quarterly dividends; however, the declaration and payment of future dividends is discretionary and will be subject to a determination by the Board of Directors each quarter following its review of the Company's financial performance.
This morning at 8:30 A.M. Eastern Time, the Company will host a conference call to review the quarter-end financial results. To access the call, which is open to the public, dial (888) 455-1758 (toll free) or (203) 827-7025. Please call in ten minutes prior to the scheduled start time. Callers will be required to supply PETMEDS as the passcode. For those unable to participate in the live event, the call will be available for replay from 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time on July 26, 2021 until August 9, 2021 at 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time. To access the replay, call (866) 360-7718 (toll free) or (203) 369-0170 and enter passcode 5500.
Founded in 1996, PetMed Express is America's Most Trusted Pet Pharmacy, delivering prescription and non-prescription pet medications and other health products for dogs, cats, and horses at competitive prices direct to the consumer through its 1-800-PetMeds toll free number and on the Internet through its website at www.petmeds.com.
This press release may contain "forward-looking" statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 or by the Securities and Exchange Commission, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the Company's ability to meet the objectives included in its business plan. Important factors that could cause results to differ materially from those indicated by such "forward-looking" statements are set forth in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in the PetMed Express Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2021. The Company's future results may also be impacted by other risk factors listed from time to time in its SEC filings, including, but not limited to, the Company's Form 10-Q and its Annual Report on Form 10-K.
For investment relations contact PetMed Express, Inc., Bruce S. Rosenbloom, CFO, 561-526-4444.