US footwear and apparel retailer Wolverine World Wide Inc. reported surprisingly strong results for the 2025 fiscal year on Thursday. The group of companies was therefore able to exceed its forecasts in all important key figures in the final quarter. This was driven by global growth across core brands Merrell and Saucony, as well as continued improvements in its own retail operations.
CEO and President Chris Hufnagel emphasized that the company is “finding its footing again” in areas where it had previously shown weaknesses. He expressed confidence that the recent momentum will continue in the new financial year.
In the past financial year, which ended on January 3rd, group sales amounted to 1.87 billion US dollars (1.60 billion euros). This corresponded to an increase of 6.8 percent compared to the previous year. Adjusted for exchange rate changes, revenue grew by 6.0 percent. The net profit attributable to shareholders reached 95.8 million US dollars (81.6 million euros). This means it has more than doubled compared to 2024.
The group is significantly increasing its gross margin
The company particularly highlighted the strong improvement in gross margin, which increased from 44.3 to 47.3 percent year-on-year. According to the group, this increase of 300 basis points was achieved primarily through cost management and the shift towards full-price sales. These measures more than offset the additional burdens caused by higher US tariffs.
For the 2026 financial year, management expects sales of between 1.96 and 1.99 billion US dollars. This corresponds to growth of around 4.6 to 5.9 percent. The operating margin is expected to reach 8.8 percent, increasing by 80 basis points compared to 2025. However, gross margin is expected to decline by 130 basis points compared to last year’s peak. Diluted earnings per share guidance range is $1.31 to $1.46.
This article was created using digital tools translated.
FashionUnited uses artificial intelligence to speed up the translation of articles and improve the end result. They help us to make FashionUnited’s international reporting quickly and comprehensively accessible to a German-speaking readership. Articles translated using AI-based tools are proofread and carefully edited by our editors before they are published. If you have any questions or comments, please email [email protected]
