Columbia Sportswear reported a 3% increase in Q4 net sales, reaching $1.09bn, up from $1.06, in the same period of the previous year. This reflected a higher proportion of Fall ’24 orders shipping.

The growth was primarily driven by strong performance in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Latin America, Asia Pacific (LAAP) regions, although gains were partially offset by a decline in the US market, with Canada's figures remaining constant. 

The apparel, accessories and equipment category saw Q4 net sales grow 6% to $869m while footwear witnessed 4% drop to $228m. 

Key metrics from Columbia Sportswear Q4 FY24 

Columbia Sportwear recorded net income of $102.6m, an increase of 10% from $93.3m in the prior year quarter.  

The company’s earnings per diluted share for the quarter was $1.80 against $1.55 per diluted share recorded during the comparable period in fiscal 2023.  

Its operating income saw a significant uptick of 21% to $137.3m, representing 12.5% of net sales, compared to the operating income of $113.1m or 10.7% of net sales reported in Q4 FY23. 

Gross margin improved by 50 basis points (bps) to 51.1% of net sales in Q4 FY24 from 50.6% in Q4 FY23. This expansion is attributed mainly to reduced inventory clearance activities, though it was somewhat countered by less favourable foreign exchange hedging rates.

Its selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses increased to $430.6m over the quarter from $404.8m year-over-year, with significant changes including heightened incentive compensation and direct-to-consumer expenses, which were partly balanced by decreased supply chain costs.

Columbia’s full-year 2024 performance   

The retailer reported a decrease in net sales to $3.36bn down from $3.48bn in FY23.

Net income also declined by 11% to $223.3m or $3.82 per diluted share compared to net income of $251.4m or $4.09 per diluted share for fiscal 2023. 

The company's gross margin for FY24 experienced an expansion of 60 basis points to 50.2% from 49.6% in FY23, while operating income fell by 13% to $270.7m or 8% of net sales. 

SG&A expenses of Columbia Sportswear for FY24 amounted to $1.44bn, accounting for 42.9% of net sales. 

Columbia Sportswear chairman president and chief executive officer Tim Boyle said: “I’m encouraged that sales returned to growth in the fourth quarter, and we expect continued growth in 2025, across most brands and regions.  

“During the year we made substantial progress on our inventory reduction efforts, achieved cost savings through our Profit Improvement Program, and returned meaningful cash to shareholders through share buybacks and dividends. We also laid the foundation for Columbia’s ACCELERATE Growth Strategy, which will come to life in the seasons ahead.” 

Financial outlook for Q1 and full year 2025 

Columbia Sportswear anticipates net sales growth between 1% and 3% in FY25, projecting revenues between $3.40bn and $3.47bn compared to $3.37bn in FY24. 

Its diluted earnings per share are anticipated to be within the range of $3.80 to $4.15 for FY25, closely aligning with the EPS figure of $3.82 reported for FY24. 

However, Q1 2025 net sales is projected between $749m and $764m, reflecting a decline of 3% to 1% compared to $770m Q1 2024.  

Operating margin is also expected to range from 5.4% to 6.0%, down from 5.8% in the prior year’s first quarter. Diluted earnings per share are forecasted to be between $0.62 and $0.70, compared to $0.71 for the same period in 2024.