Vera Bradley, Inc. (VRA) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Revenues $62.3 million, 11.7% below prior year. This compared to a 24.6% decline during the second quarter. Reasons for the decline include strategic product shifts and adjustments in promotional strategies.
Direct Business Segment Revenues $49.7 million, 5.3% below prior year compared to a decline of 16.2% in the second quarter. Sequential improvement in key metrics in nearly all direct segment channels, driven by product-led initiatives and positive comparable channel sales.
Net Loss from Continuing Operations Negative $8.3 million or negative $0.30 per diluted share, compared to negative $3.7 million or negative $0.13 per diluted share last year. The loss was significantly affected by a $5.9 million inventory write-down and a $4 million write-off of television media credits.
Gross Margin $26 million or 41.7% of net revenues, compared to $38.4 million or 54.5% of net revenues in the prior year. Excluding the inventory write-down, gross margin was 51.2%, showing sequential improvement. The decrease was due to inventory write-downs and additional duty expenses, partially offset by pricing improvements.
SG&A Expenses $37.4 million or 60.0% of net revenues, compared to $43.6 million or 61.8% of net revenues in the prior year. The decrease was due to lower compensation expenses and other cost reduction initiatives, partially offset by the media credit write-off.
Operating Loss from Continuing Operations Negative $11.1 million or negative 17.8% of net revenues, compared to negative $5 million or negative 7.1% of net revenues in the prior year. Excluding inventory reserve and media credits write-off, the operating loss was negative $1.2 million or negative 1.9% of net revenues.
Inventory $82.9 million, a 24.3% decrease year-over-year from $109.6 million. The decrease reflects strategic efforts to align receipts with sales expectations and optimize assortments.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Analyst Views on VRA
About VRA
About the author

- Market Underperformance: On Wednesday, shares of music and electronics stores collectively fell by approximately 1.5%, indicating challenges within the sector that may impact investor confidence and lead to capital outflows.
- Upbound Group Leads Decline: Upbound Group's stock dropped by about 4%, becoming the primary drag on the sector, highlighting potential operational pressures and intensified market competition risks.
- Vertiv Holdings Follows Suit: Vertiv Holdings saw a decline of approximately 1.8%, exacerbating concerns about the industry's future performance and potentially affecting its short-term financing capabilities.
- Overall Industry Trend: The downward trend in music and electronics stores may signal a slowdown in consumer spending, prompting businesses to reassess market strategies to navigate potential economic downturns.
Third Quarter Loss: Vera Bradley, Inc. reported a loss of -$12.37 million for the third quarter, slightly improving from a loss of -$12.80 million in the same period last year.
Adjusted Earnings: Excluding certain items, the company reported adjusted earnings of -$8.31 million, or -$0.30 per share.
Revenue Decline: The company's revenue decreased by 11.7%, falling to $62.25 million from $70.48 million in the previous year.
Earnings Comparison: The earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter was -$0.44, compared to -$0.46 in the prior year.
Stock Performance: Vera Bradley, Inc. experienced a 20.47% drop in stock price to $1.71 after reporting a wider-than-expected adjusted third-quarter loss of 30 cents per share, despite quarterly sales exceeding expectations.
Sales and Revenue Decline: The company's direct segment revenues fell by 5.3% to $49.7 million, while indirect segment revenues saw a significant 30.2% decrease, primarily due to reduced orders in specialty and key accounts.
Margin and Profitability Issues: Gross profit decreased to $26.2 million, representing 42.1% of net revenues, down from 54.5% in the previous year, with an adjusted operating loss of $11.1 million compared to $5.0 million the prior year.
Future Outlook: Despite challenges, the relaunch of iconic styles has provided some optimism for the company's transformation strategy, branded as Project Sunshine, focusing on profitability and sustainable growth.
- Revenue Performance: Vera Bradley reported third-quarter revenues of $62.3 million, an 8.8% decline from $70.5 million in the prior year, reflecting competitive pressures despite some product line returns boosting confidence.
- Net Loss Situation: The company incurred a net loss of $12.4 million, or $0.44 per share, primarily impacted by a $5.9 million inventory write-down and a $4 million write-off of media credits, highlighting financial challenges during the transformation process.
- Operational Efficiency: The Direct segment generated $49.7 million in revenue, a 5.3% decrease year-over-year, indicating improvements in overall sales but still facing issues with traffic and conversion rates that affect profitability.
- Long-term Strategy: Vera Bradley is implementing a five-pillar transformation strategy branded as
Major Earnings Announcements: Key earnings reports expected before the market opens on Thursday include Ciena Corporation, Imperial Petroleum, The Lovesac Company, and Manchester United.
Additional Earnings Releases: Other companies scheduled to release earnings before Thursday's open include DLMAF, LIVE, and VRA.
Earnings Season Calendar: For a comprehensive overview of the earnings season, readers can refer to Seeking Alpha's full earnings calendar.
Market Impact: These earnings announcements may influence market trends and investor decisions as they reflect the financial health of the respective companies.










