CLAIM #478 · Ross Stores Inc (ROST) · 2022Q1 earnings call · May 18, 2022 · due Jan 31, 2023
“Yes. At this point, Dana, we wouldn't change our glide path. We're planning to open 100 this year, and we will execute to that.”
Michael Hartshorn · COO
Where this number comes from
Verbatim from a later earnings call (Nov 16, 2022).
Why this grade
Management revised the full-year store opening target down from 100 net new stores to 92 before the year came due, a reduction of 8 stores.
Deviation basis: percent change from committed 100 stores to revised 92 stores
How to check this claim
Look at: Total net new store openings (Ross Dress for Less and dd's DISCOUNTS combined) for the fiscal year
It came true if: Net new store openings >= 95 (approximately 100 as guided)
Where: Company-disclosed store count (10-K store table / Q4 earnings call)
In context
“t of all, our overall customer is very broad, age-wise, ethnicity, and income-wise. On average, the Ross customer makes between 60 -- household income, $60,000 to $65,000. And the dd's customer is south of that, in the $40,000, $45,000 range. But I would say the health of our customer, they're being squeezed. Food and fuel prices with inflation there means they have less to spend on discretionary items. Dana Telsey: And then just lastly, as you think about the real estate portfolio, so then keep maintaining the same level of new store openings. Is there anything that would make you adjust your rate of new store openings? Or given that's a glide path for the future, no adjustment in the strong balance sheet that you have? How do you think of that real estate portfolio? Michael Hartshorn: Yes. At this point, Dana, we wouldn't change our glide path. We're planning to open 100 this year, and we will execute to that. And then we'll revisit our long-term plans. But we think there's market share available. We think there's market share opportunities. We think value will becoming increasingly important for the customer as it has over the last number of years. And we think we have a great opportunity ahead of us. So we would continue with our store opening plan. Operator: [Operator Instructions] Your next question comes from the line of Laura Champine with Loop Capital. Laura Champine: I'm wondering if weather had an impact on your comp this quarter. The strength of Florida would seem to point to that, but the comment that the comp decelerated as the quarter progressed sort of fights against that theory. Michael Hartshorn: Laura, the weather did not have a material impact on the business in the quart”
Verify independently
SEC filings for ROST ↗ · Claim quote is verbatim from the 2022Q1 earnings call.