Dollar Tree Posts 12% Sales Jump in Q2

Key Points

• Dollar Tree reported net sales (GAAP) of $4.57 billion, up 12.3%, with same-store net sales growth of 6.5%.

• Adjusted diluted EPS rose 13.2% year-over-year to $0.77, with a $0.20-per-share benefit from tariff timing (non-GAAP), expected to reverse in the next quarter.

• Full-year guidance was raised for net sales and comparable growth, but management expects flat adjusted earnings as cost and margin pressures persist.

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Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR), a major discount variety retailer known for its low-price point merchandise, released its earnings on September 3, 2025. The report highlighted a significant rise in net sales and comparable store growth, both ahead of prior expectations. Net sales (GAAP) reached $4.57 billion, up 12.3% over the prior year period. Same-store net sales grew 6.5%, driven by higher transaction numbers and bigger average tickets. Adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) were $0.77, up 13.2%, boosted by a $0.20-per-share timing benefit related to tariffs and inventory (adjusted, non-GAAP), which management notes will be reversed in the next quarter. Overall, the quarter showed brisk sales and expanding store reach, but persistent cost and margin pressures limited bottom-line progress. Raised full-year guidance points to ongoing confidence but suggests near-term profit growth could flatten as headwinds persist.

Who is Dollar Tree and What Drives its Business?

Dollar Tree is a discount retail chain operating thousands of stores across the United States and Canada. Its hallmark is selling a wide range of everyday items, seasonal goods, and discretionary products at low fixed price points. Most locations feature items at $1.25, as well as a growing assortment of products priced at $3, $4, and $5 under its multi-price format.

The company focuses on steady new store openings, format conversions, and expanded product assortments. Keys to its success include keeping operating costs low, offering strong value, and adapting merchandise and pricing strategies quickly. Efficient supply chains and streamlined distribution help support these efforts, while the completed sale of the Family Dollar business means leadership can now focus solely on strengthening the Dollar Tree brand.

Quarter in Review: Key Developments and Financial Trends

Dollar Tree’s net sales (GAAP) climbed 12.3% compared to the prior year quarter, with the company reporting a 6.5% jump in same-store net sales. This same-store metric—tracking growth at stores open at least a year—was fueled by a 3.0% increase in customer visits and a 3.4% rise in average ticket size. The broader sales gains stemmed from continued network expansion: 106 new stores were opened, offset by 10 closings and 36 conversions from previous Family Dollar sites, producing a net gain of 81 locations.

Gross margin, which measures profit after the cost of goods sold as a percent of revenue, improved by 20 basis points to 34.4% (GAAP, continuing operations). Management credits this to better product pricing, lower domestic freight costs, and favorable sales mix. Nonetheless, these improvements had to offset ongoing cost headwinds, such as higher tariffs, labor expenses, and inventory shrink—industry terms for losses from theft or damage.

This approach allows Dollar Tree to stock and sell products at prices above the traditional fixed price point, giving flexibility to offer more variety and appeal to a broader set of customers. Management reported that this shift has contributed to both increased customer spending per visit and higher traffic, supporting higher top-line revenue.

A large one-time event shaped the quarter: a $0.20-per-share positive impact from tariff and inventory timing, which management expects will not recur in the third quarter. Free cash flow from continuing operations (non-GAAP) was $15.6 million compared to negative $115.3 million in Q2 FY2024. The company also repurchased 5.0 million shares for $501.4 million, bringing the year-to-date total to 11.0 million shares repurchased.

Looking Forward: Guidance and Areas to Watch

For fiscal 2025, Dollar Tree has raised its net sales outlook, now projecting $19.3 to $19.5 billion in sales. Comparable store net sales growth guidance was nudged higher as well, moving to the 4% to 6% range. The updated forecast for adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations (non-GAAP) is $5.32 to $5.72, up from prior expectations. However, management cautioned that the unusually favorable adjusted diluted EPS impact from tariff timing will reverse in the next quarter and expects adjusted EPS to be roughly flat with the prior-year third quarter.

Investors should focus on how Dollar Tree manages cost pressures in the upcoming periods, especially higher tariffs, increased labor costs, and inventory shrink. Though store growth and pricing initiatives are driving sales and helping to win customers, these gains are being offset by persistent expense increases. With management’s outlook for Q3 earnings flat and a reliance on operational improvements to sustain margin growth, trends in gross margin, same-store sales, and cost management will be key metrics to monitor in the coming quarters. DLTR does not currently pay a dividend.

Revenue and net income presented using U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) unless otherwise noted.

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