Except where the context otherwise requires or where otherwise indicated: (i) all references herein to ‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ ‘‘our,’’ ‘‘Natural ~~Grocers,’~~Grocers’’ andthe ‘‘ “Company’’ refer collectively to ~~Natural~~Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. and its consolidated ~~subsidiaries.~~subsidiariesand (ii) all references to a “fiscal year” refer to a year beginning on October 1 of the previous year and ending on September 30 of such year (for example, “fiscal year 2018” refers to the year from October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018).

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this Form 10-Q) includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 in addition to historical information. These forward-looking statements are included throughout this Form 10-Q, including in the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” All statements that are not statements of historical fact, including those that relate to matters such as our industry, business strategy, goals and expectations concerning our market position, future operations, margins, profitability, capital expenditures, liquidity and capital resources, future growth, pending legal proceedings and other financial and operating information, are ~~forward-looking~~forward looking statements. We may use the words “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “future,” “target” and similar terms and phrases to identify forward-looking statements in this Form 10-Q.

The forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-Q are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. We cannot assure you that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to changes in global, regional or local political, economic, business, competitive, market, regulatory and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. We believe that these factors include those referenced in Item 1A –- “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, ~~2016~~2017 (the Form 10-K) and Item 1A – “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-Q. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements.

Any forward-looking statement made by us in this Form 10-Q speaks only as of the date of this report. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by ~~any~~ applicable securities laws. You are advised, however, to consult any ~~further~~ disclosures we may make in our future reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). Such reports may be read and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549 and may also be accessed on the SEC’s website atwww.sec.gov. Our filings with the SEC are also available, free of charge, through our website at~~www.naturalgrocers.com.~~www.naturalgrocers.com.

Table of Contents

NATURALGROCERS BY VITAMIN COTTAGE,INC.

Consolidated Statements of Income

(Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

													Three months ended December 31,
	Three months ended June 30,						Nine months ended June 30,						2017			2016
	2017			2016			2017			2016
Net sales	$	194,709			179,274			570,489			524,455		$	202,480			183,577
Cost of goods sold and occupancy costs		141,928			128,344			411,397			373,627			149,321			131,424
Gross profit		52,781			50,930			159,092			150,828			53,159			52,153
Store expenses		45,028			40,095			129,271			114,768			45,166			41,843
Administrative expenses		5,105			4,813			14,947			14,503			5,257			4,883
Pre-opening and relocation expenses		970			2,007			3,515			4,399			543			1,261
Operating income		1,678			4,015			11,359			17,158			2,193			4,166
Interest expense		(876	)		(768	)		(2,738	)		(2,154	)		(1,089	)		(983	)
Income before income taxes		802			3,247			8,621			15,004			1,104			3,183
Provision for income taxes		(204	)		(567	)		(2,966	)		(4,999	)
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes														4,077			(1,122	)
Net income	$	598			2,680			5,655			10,005		$	5,181			2,061

Net income per common share:
Basic	$	0.03			0.12			0.25			0.44		$	0.23			0.09
Diluted	$	0.03			0.12			0.25			0.44		$	0.23			0.09
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding:
Basic		22,460,058			22,501,044			22,457,328			22,499,229			22,359,828			22,453,459
Diluted		22,469,186			22,506,098			22,465,126			22,505,220			22,366,749			22,461,094

See accompanying notes to unaudited interim consolidated financial statements.

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NATURALGROCERS BY VITAMIN COTTAGE, INC.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

~~(Unaudited)~~

(Dollars in thousands)

Nine months ended
June 30,

2017

2016

Operating activities:

Net income
$ 5,655 10,005
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization
21,965 18,617
(Gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment
(21
)
4
Share-based compensation
604 662
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense
(700 ) 5,754
Non-cash interest expense
- 10
Changes in operating assets and liabilities

Decrease (increase) in:

Accounts receivable, net
462 (17
)
Merchandise inventory
(6,534 ) (11,550
)
Prepaid expenses and other assets
871 (2,409
)
Increase (decrease) in:

Accounts payable
7,114 3,409
Accrued expenses
3,588 (6,363
)
Deferred compensation
353 330
Deferred rent and leasehold incentives
2,500 2,280
Net cash provided by operating activities
35,857 20,732
Investing activities:

Acquisition of property and equipment
(36,748
)
(39,302
)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment, net of commissions of $80 and zero, respectively
2,585 12
Net cash used in investing activities
(34,163
)
(39,290
)
Financing activities:

Borrowings under credit facility
224,350 175,062
Repayments under credit facility
(224,300
)
(156,235
)
Capital and financing lease obligations payments
(352
)
(290
)
Loan fees paid
- (42
)
Repurchases of common stock
(261
)
(139
)
Payments on withholding tax for vested restricted stock units
(25
)
(10
)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities
(588
)
18,346
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
1,106 (212
)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
4,017 2,915
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
$ 5,123 2,703
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:

Cash paid for interest on revolving credit facility
$ 504 161
Cash paid for interest on capital and financing lease obligations, net of capitalized interest of $433 and $469, respectively
2,156 1,897
Income taxes paid
2,534 6,362
Supplemental disclosures of non-cash investing and financing activities:

Acquisition of property and equipment not yet paid
$ 3,594 9,177
Property acquired through capital and financing lease obligations
226 3,343

	Three months ended December 31,
	2017			2016

Operating activities:
Net income	$	5,181			2,061
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		7,415			7,121
Loss on disposal of property and equipment		48			—
Share-based compensation		160			217
Deferred income tax benefit		(4,446	)		(170	)
Non-cash interest expense		3			2
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Decrease (increase) in:
Accounts receivable, net		383			1,128
Merchandise inventory		2,190			(1,657	)
Prepaid expenses and other assets		22			1,395
Income tax receivable		351			—
(Decrease) increase in:
Accounts payable		(3,564	)		(286	)
Accrued expenses		3,013			3,927
Deferred compensation		124			116
Deferred rent and leasehold incentives		89			240
Net cash provided by operating activities		10,969			14,094
Investing activities:
Acquisition of property and equipment		(4,925	)		(13,057	)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment		41			2,564
Net cash used in investing activities		(4,884	)		(10,493	)
Financing activities:
Borrowings under credit facility		87,500			67,350
Repayments under credit facility		(91,300	)		(67,701	)
Capital and financing lease obligations payments		(132	)		(113	)
Repurchases of common stock		(581	)		—
Payments on withholding tax for restricted stock unit vesting		(4	)		(12	)
Net cash used in financing activities		(4,517	)		(476	)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents		1,568			3,125
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period		6,521			4,017
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$	8,089			7,142
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest	$	217			121
Cash paid for interest on capital and financing lease obligations, net of capitalized interest of $25 and $63, respectively		848			784
Income taxes paid		19			11
Supplemental disclosures of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Acquisition of property and equipment not yet paid	$	1,722			7,243
Property acquired through capital and financing lease obligations		4,428			—

See accompanying notes to unaudited interim consolidated financial statements.

Table of Contents

NATURALGROCERS BY VITAMIN COTTAGE ~~INC.~~

~~Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements~~

~~June 30~~, ~~2017 and 2016~~INC.

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2017 and 2016

1.Organization

Nature of Business

Natural Grocers by ~~Vitamin~~Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (Natural Grocers or the holding company) and its consolidated subsidiaries (collectively, the Company) operate retail stores that specialize in natural and organic groceries and dietary supplements. The Company operates its retail stores under its trademarkNatural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage®. As of ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017, the Company operated ~~140~~142 stores in 19 states. The Company also has a bulk food repackaging facility and distribution center in Golden, Colorado. The Company had ~~126~~140 stores in 19 states as of September 30, ~~2016.~~2017.

22.. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Consolidated Financial Statements

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for ~~interim~~interim financial statements and are in the form prescribed by Article 10 of Regulation ~~S-X.~~S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for annual financial statements. The information included in this Form ~~10-Q~~10-Q should be read in conjunction with Item 7 – “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Form ~~10-K.~~10-K. The accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, considered necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s financial results. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for any other interim period or for a full fiscal year. The Company reports its results of operations on a fiscal year ending September 30.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include all the accounts of the holding company’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc. (the operating company) and Vitamin Cottage Two Ltd. Liability Company ~~(VC2)~~(VC2). All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The Company has one reporting ~~segment:~~segment: natural and organic retail stores. Sales from the Company’s natural and organic retail stores are derived from sales of the following product categories, which are presented as a percentage of sales for the three ~~and nine~~ months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016, as follows:

Three months ended
June 30,

Nine months ended
June 30,

2017

2016

2017

2016

Grocery
66.9
%
66.8 66.3 66.4
Dietary supplements
22.0 22.0 22.4 22.3
Other
11.1 11.2 11.3 11.3
100.0
%
100.0 100.0 100.0

	Three months ended December 31,
	2017			2016
Grocery		67	%		66
Dietary supplements		22			22
Other		11			12
		100	%		100

Use ofEstimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities (including the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination), the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Management reviews its estimates on an ongoing basis, including those related to ~~lease assumptions,~~ allowances for self-insurance reserves, valuation of inventories, useful lives of property and equipment for depreciation and amortization, impairment of finite-lived intangible, long-lived assets, and goodwill, lease assumptions, valuation allowances for deferred tax assets and litigation based on currently available information. Changes in facts and circumstances may result in revised estimates and actual results could differ from those estimates.

Table of Contents

U.S Tax Reform

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Tax Reform Act). The Tax Reform Act significantly revises the future ongoing federal income tax by, among other things, lowering U.S. corporate income tax rates effective January 1, 2018. The Company has calculated a blended U.S. federal income tax rate of approximately 24.3% for our fiscal year ending September 30, 2018 and 21.0% for subsequent fiscal years. For the three months ended December 31, 2017, these impacts resulted in a net non-cash tax benefit of approximately $4.3 million due to the favorable impact of the lower blended federal income tax rate and the remeasurement of our deferred tax balances.

The changes included in the Tax Reform Act are broad and complex. The final transition impacts of the Tax Reform Act may differ from the above estimate, due to, among other things, changes in interpretations of the Tax Reform Act, any legislative action to address questions that arise because of the Tax Reform Act and any changes in accounting standards for income taxes or related interpretations in response to the Tax Reform Act. The SEC has issued Staff Accounting Bulletin 118 (SAB 118), which expresses the SEC’s views regarding the application of Accounting Standards Codification 740, “Income Taxes,” (ASC 740) in the reporting period that includes December 22, 2017 (the date the Tax Reform Act was signed into law). SAB 118 allows for a measurement period of up to one year after the enactment date of the Tax Reform Act to finalize the recording of the related tax impacts. The Company currently anticipates finalizing and recording any resulting adjustments by the end of the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In July 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2015-11, “Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory,” Topic 330, “Inventory” (ASU 2015-11). The amendments in ASU 2015-11, which apply to inventory that is measured using any method other than the last-in, first-out (LIFO) or retail inventory method, require that entities measure inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value. The amendments in ASU 2015-11 should be applied on a prospective basis. ASU 2015-11 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those years. The Company adopted the amendments of ASU 2015-11 effective October 1, 2017. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, “Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting,” Topic 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation” (ASU 2016-09). ASU 2016-09 includes provisions intended to simplify various aspects related to how share-based payments are accounted for and presented in the Company’s financial statements, including income tax consequences, forfeitures and classification on the statement of cash flows. Under previous guidance, excess tax benefits and deficiencies from share-based compensation arrangements were recorded in equity when the awards vested or were settled. ASU 2016-09 requires prospective recognition of excess tax benefits and deficiencies in income tax expense, rather than paid-in-capital. The adoption of the standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated statements of income for the three months ended December 31, 2017.

In addition, under ASU 2016-09, excess tax income tax benefits from share-based compensation arrangements are classified as cash flow from operations, rather than as cash flow from financing activities. For the three months ended December 31, 2017, there were no excess income tax benefits.

The Company has elected to continue to estimate the number of share-based awards expected to vest, as permitted by ASU 2016-09, rather than electing to account for forfeitures as they occur.

ASU 2016-09 requires excess tax benefits and deficiencies to be prospectively excluded from assumed future proceeds in the calculation of diluted shares, resulting in a decrease in diluted weighted average shares outstanding of 2,879 shares for the three months ended December 31, 2017.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, “Simplifying the ~~Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2017-04,~~Test for Goodwill Impairment,” Topic 350, “Intangibles – Goodwill and ~~Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment”~~Other” (ASU ~~2017-04)~~2017-04). The amendments in ASU ~~2017-04~~2017-04 simplify the accounting for goodwill impairment for all entities by requiring impairment charges to be based on the first step in the current ~~two-step~~two-step impairment test. An impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value should be recognized; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The amendments should be applied on a prospective basis. Early adoption is permitted for annual and interim goodwill impairment testing dates after January 1, 2017 and is effective for the Company’s first quarter of the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of these provisions will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Table of Contents

In ~~March~~February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, “Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting,” Topic 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation” (ASU 2016-09). ASU 2016-09 includes provisions intended to simplify various aspects related to how share-based payments are accounted for and presented in the financial statements, including income tax consequences, forfeitures and classification on the statement of cash flows. The provisions of ASU 2016-09 are effective for the Company’s first quarter of the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, with early adoption permitted. Currently, the Company does not expect to early adopt the provisions of ASU 2016-09. Based upon current estimates, the Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-09 will have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

~~In February~~ 2016 ~~the FASB issued ASU 2016-02,~~-02, “Leases,” Topic 842, “Leases” (ASU ~~2016-02)~~2016-02). ASU No. ~~2016-02~~2016-02 requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and corresponding lease liability for all leases with terms of more than 12 months. Recognition, measurement and presentation of expenses will depend on classification as a finance or operating lease. ASU ~~2016-02~~2016-02 also requires certain quantitative and qualitative disclosures. The provisions of ASU ~~2016-02~~2016-02 should be applied on a modified retrospective basis and are effective for the Company’s first quarter of the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, with early adoption permitted. However, during December 2017, the FASB proposed amending ASU 2016-02 such that restatement of fiscal years 2018 and 2019 would not be required upon adoption. The adoption of ASU ~~2016-02~~2016-02 will result in a material increase to the Company’s consolidated balance sheets for lease liabilities and right-of-use assets. The Company is also performing a comprehensive review of its current processes to determine and implement changes required to support the adoption of this standard. As part of this review process, the Company is implementing new software solutions to support the lease reporting upon adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the other effects the adoption of ASU ~~2016-02~~2016-02 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In ~~July 2015,~~ May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, “Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory,” Topic 330, “Inventory” (ASU 2015-11). The amendments in ASU 2015-11, which apply to inventory that is measured using any method other than the last-in, first-out (LIFO) or retail inventory method, require that entities measure inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value. The amendments in ASU 2015-11 should be applied on a prospective basis. ASU 2015-11 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016and interim periods within those years. The provisions ofASU 2015-11 are effective for the Company’s first quarter of the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018. The Company does not expect the adoption of these provisions to have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

~~In May~~ 2014 ~~the FASB issued ASU 2014-09,~~-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” Topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (ASU ~~2014-09)~~2014-09). ASU ~~2014-09~~2014-09 provides guidance for revenue recognition and will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in GAAP when it becomes effective. ASU ~~2014-09’s~~2014-09’s core principle is that a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled for the transfer of those goods or services. ASU ~~2014-09~~2014-09 permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU ~~2015-14,~~2015-14, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers – Deferral of the Effective Date.” The FASB approved the deferral of ASU ~~2014-09,~~2014-09, by extending the new revenue recognition standard’s mandatory effective date by one year and permitting public companies to apply the new revenue standard to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. However, earlier adoption is permitted only for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The guidance in ASU ~~2014-09~~2014-09 will be effective for the Company in the first quarter of the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019. Further to ASU 2014-09 and ASU 2015-14, the FASB issued ASU No.2016-08, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” Topic 606, “Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net)” (“ASU 2016-08”) in March 2016 and ASU No.2016-12, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” Topic 606, “Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients” (“ASU 2016-12”) in May 2016. The amendments in ASU 2016-08 clarify the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations, including indicators to assist an entity in determining whether it controls a specified good or service before it is transferred to the customers. ASU 2016-12 addresses narrow-scope improvements to the guidance on collectability, non-cash consideration, and completed contracts at transition. Additionally, the amendments in this ASU provide a practical expedient for contract modifications at transition and an accounting policy election related to the presentation of sales taxes and other similar taxes collected from customers. The effective date and transition requirements for ASU 2016-08 and ASU 2016-12 are the same as ASU 2014-09.The Company is ~~continuing to evaluate~~currently in the ~~impact that~~process of evaluating the ~~adoption of ASU 2014-09 will have on its consolidated financial statements. As of the date of this report, the Company has not finalized any estimates of the qualitative~~ impact of the adoption of ASU ~~2014-09.~~2014-09, ASU 2016-08 and ASU 2016-12 on its consolidated financial statements. The Company ~~expects that the adoption of~~currently does not plan to early adopt ASU ~~2014-09 will not have a significant impact on the Company’s revenue, which is substantially point of sale product revenue.~~2014-09, ASU 2016-08 or ASU 2016-12.

33.. Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share (EPS) is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted EPS reflects the potential dilution that could occur if the Company’s granted but unvested restricted stock units (RSUs) were to vest, resulting in the issuance of common stock that would then share in the Company’s earnings.

~~Table of Contents~~

Presented below are basic and diluted EPS for the three ~~and nine~~ months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016, dollars in thousands, except per share data:

	Three months ended June 30,				Nine months ended June 30,				Three months ended December 31,
	2017		2016		2017		2016		2017		2016
Net income	$	598		2,680		5,655		10,005	$	5,181		2,061

Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding		22,460,058		22,501,044		22,457,328		22,499,229		22,359,828		22,453,459
Effect of dilutive securities		9,128		5,054		7,798		5,991		6,921		7,635
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding including effect of dilutive securities		22,469,186		22,506,098		22,465,126		22,505,220		22,366,749		22,461,094

Basic earnings per share	$	0.03		0.12		0.25		0.44	$	0.23		0.09
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.03		0.12		0.25		0.44	$	0.23		0.09

Table of Contents

There were ~~68,864~~157,879 and 71,257 non-vested RSUs for ~~each of~~ the three ~~and nine~~ months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017and 2016, respectively, excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS as they are antidilutive. ~~There were 103,795 and 91,828 antidilutive non-vested RSUs for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2016, respectively.~~

The Company did not declare any dividends in the three ~~or nine~~ months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 or 2016.

44. . Debt

Credit Facility

~~The~~On January 28, 2016, the Company ~~is party to~~entered into a credit facility (the Credit Facility) ~~pursuant to which the amount available for borrowing is $45.0 million, including a $5.0 million sublimit for standby letters of credit.~~. The operating company is the borrower under the Credit Facility and its obligations under the Credit Facility are guaranteed by the holding company and VC2. The Credit Facility is secured by a lien on substantially all of the Company’s assets. The ~~Company has the ability to increase the~~ amount available for borrowing under the Credit Facility ~~by an additional amount that may not exceed $5.0~~is $50.0 million, ~~if the lenders agree to provide an additional commitment or commitments.~~including a $5.0 million sublimit for standby letters of credit. The Company has the right to borrow, prepay and re-borrow amounts under the Credit Facility at any time prior to the maturity date. The Credit Facility matures on January 31, 2021.

For floating rate borrowings under the Credit Facility, interest is determined by the lender’s administrative agent based on the most recent compliance certificate of the operating company and stated at the base rate less the lender spread based upon certain financial measures. For fixed rate borrowings under the Credit Facility, interest is determined by quoted LIBOR rates for the interest period plus the lender spread based upon certain financial measures. The unused commitment fee is based upon certain financial measures.

The Credit Facility requires compliance with certain customary operational and financial covenants, including a leverage ratio. The Credit Facility also contains certain other customary limitations on the ~~Company’s~~Company’s ability to incur additional debt, guarantee other obligations, grant liens on assets and make investments or acquisitions, among other limitations. Additionally, the Credit Facility prohibits the payment of cash dividends ~~except that so long as no default exists or would arise as a result thereof,~~to the holding company from the operating company ~~may pay cash~~without the administrative agent’s consent, except when no default or event of default exists. If no default or event of default exists, dividends ~~to the holding company~~are allowed for various audit, accounting, tax, securities, indemnification, reimbursement, insurance and other reasonable expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business, ~~and~~including cash dividends to the holding company for ~~repurchases~~the repurchase of shares of common stock in an amount not to exceed ~~$10.0~~$10.0 million.

The Company had ~~$27.5~~$24.6 million and $28.4 million outstanding under the Credit Facility as of ~~June~~December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017, ~~and $27.4 million outstanding under the Credit Facility as of September 30, 2016.~~respectively. As of each of ~~June~~December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017, ~~and September 30, 2016,~~ the Company had undrawn, issued and outstanding letters of credit of ~~$1.0~~$1.0 million, which were reserved against the amount available for borrowing under the terms of the Credit Facility. The Company had ~~$16.5~~$24.4 million and $20.6 million available for borrowing under the Credit Facility as of ~~June~~December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017, respectively.

As of December 31, 2017 and ~~$16.6 million available for borrowing~~September 30, 2017, the Company was in compliance with the financial covenants under the Credit ~~Facility as of September 30, 2016.~~Facility.

Capital and Financing Lease Obligations

The Company had 18 and 17 leases as of ~~June~~December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017, ~~and 16 leases as of September 30, 2016~~respectively, that are included in capital and financing lease obligations (see Note 6)6). ~~The Company does not record~~No rent expense is recorded for these capitalized real estate ~~leases;~~leases, but rather rental payments under the capital leases are recognized as a reduction of the capital and financing lease obligation and as interest expense. The interest rate on capital and financing lease obligations is determined at the inception of the lease.

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Interest

The Company incurred gross interest expense of approximately $0.9 million and $0.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and approximately $2.7 million and $2.2 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.The Company capitalized interest of $0.2$1.1 million for each of the three months ~~endedJune 30,~~ended December 31, 2017 and ~~2016,~~ 2016. Interest expense for the three months ended December 31, 2017 and ~~$0.4~~2016 relates primarily to interest on capital and financing lease obligations. The Company capitalized interest of less than $0.1 million and ~~$0.5~~approximately $0.1 million for the ~~nine~~three months ~~endedJune 30,~~ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, ~~respectively.~~ respectively.

5. Shareholders’ Equity

~~5. Shareholders’ Equity~~

Share Repurchases

On May 5, 2016, the Company’s Board of Directors (the Board) authorized a ~~two-year~~two-year share repurchase program pursuant to which the Company may repurchase up to ~~$10.0~~$10.0 million in shares of the Company’s common ~~stock.Repurchases~~stock. Repurchases under the Company’s share repurchase program are made from time to time at management’s discretion on the open market or through privately negotiated transactions in compliance with Rule ~~10b-18~~10b-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as ~~amended(~~amended (the Exchange Act), subject to market conditions, applicable legal requirements and other relevant factors. Repurchases of common stock may also be made under a Rule ~~10b5-1~~10b5-1 plan, which would permit common stock to be repurchased when the Company might otherwise be precluded from doing so under insider trading laws. The share repurchase program does not obligate the Company to purchase any particular amount of common stock and may be suspended, modified or discontinued by the Company without prior notice.

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Prior to October 1, 2017, the Company repurchased 97,970 shares under the share repurchase program. During the three months ended December 31, 2017, the Company repurchased 101,573 shares under the share repurchase program. The Company did not repurchase any shares during the three months ended December 31, 2016.

~~The following table summarizes share repurchase activity for the periods indicated (in thousands, except number of shares acquired and average per share cost):~~

Three monthsended
June 30,

Nine monthsended
June 30,

2017

2016

2017

2016

Number of common shares acquired
30,000 10,300 30,000 10,300
Average price per common share acquired (including commissions)
$ 8.71 13.46 8.71 13.46
Total cost of common shares acquired
$ 261 139 261 139

~~During the three and nine months ended June 30, 2017,~~Prior to October 1, 2017, the Company reissued ~~63 and 12,322~~35,747 treasury shares ~~respectively,~~ at a cost of $0$0.4 million to satisfy the issuance of common stock pursuant to the vesting of certain restricted stock unit awards and the award of stock grants. During the three months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company reissued 1,226 treasury shares at a cost of less than $0.1 million and ~~$0.1~~1,867 treasury shares at a cost of less than $0.1 million, respectively, to satisfy the issuance of common stock pursuant to the vesting of certain restricted stock unit awards and the award of common stock grants. ~~During the three~~ At December 31, 2017 and nine months ended June 30, 2016, the Company did not reissue any treasury shares to satisfy the issuance of common stock pursuant to the vesting of certain restricted stock unit awards or the award of common stock grants.At JuneSeptember 30, 2017, ~~and September 30, 2016,~~ the Company held in treasury ~~75,348~~162,570 shares and ~~57,670~~62,223 shares, respectively, totaling approximately ~~$0.8~~$1.2 million and ~~$0.7~~$0.7 million, respectively.

Between ~~July~~January 1, ~~2017~~2018 and ~~July 31,~~January 29,~~2017~~2018 (the latest practicable date for making the determination), the Company has not repurchased any additional shares of the Company’s common stock.

66. . Lease Commitments

Capital and financing lease obligations as of ~~June~~December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017, ~~and September 30, 2016,~~ were as follows, dollars in thousands:

	As of						As of
	June 30, 2017			September 30, 2016			December 31, 2017			September 30, 2017
Capital lease finance obligations, due in monthly installments through fiscal year 2032	$	26,750			25,619
Capital lease finance obligations, due in monthly installments through fiscal year 2033							$	28,981			26,930
Capital lease obligations, due in monthly installments through fiscal year 2041		5,055			5,213			4,943			4,999
Capital lease finance obligations for assets under construction, due in monthly installments through fiscal year 2032		226			1,075
Capital lease finance obligations for assets under construction, due in monthly installments through fiscal year 2033								3,800			1,499
Total capital and financing lease obligations		32,031			31,907			37,724			33,428
Less current portion		(521	)		(478	)		(604	)		(548	)
Total capital and financing lease obligations, net of current portion	$	31,510			31,429
Total capital and financing lease obligations, net of current portion							$	37,120			32,880

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~~On October~~ 7 2016, the Company consummated a sale-leaseback transaction with an unrelated third party for a store building. Concurrently with the Company’s sale of the building, the Company entered into an agreement to lease the building back from the purchaser over an initial lease term of 15 years. The sale resulted in proceeds to the Company of approximately $2.6 million and a loss to the Company of approximately $0.5 million. Such loss has been deferred by the Company and will be amortized over the initial lease term.The Company classified the lease as operating and considers the transaction as a normal leaseback with no continuing involvement under the provisions of FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 840, “Leases.”

7.. Property and Equipment

The Company had the following property and equipment balances as of ~~June~~December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017, ~~and September 30, 2016,~~ dollars in thousands:

					As of									As of
	Useful lives (in years)				June 30, 2017			September 30, 2016			Useful lives (in years)			December 31, 2017			September 30, 2017
Construction in process			n/a		$	7,232			6,561			n/a		$	7,373			5,286
Capitalized real estate leases for build-to-suit stores, including unamortized land of $617 and $617, respectively			40			29,548			28,393			40			31,926			29,548
Capitalized real estate leases			15			5,735			5,735		15	-	25		5,735			5,735
Land			n/a			192			192			n/a			192			192
Buildings			40			16,249			12,546			40			19,259			19,259
Land improvements		5	–	24		1,141			1,055		5	-	24		1,160			1,159
Leasehold and building improvements		1	–	25		129,126			118,119		1	-	25		132,647			131,679
Fixtures and equipment		5	–	7		115,101			103,415		5	-	7		117,834			115,888
Computer hardware and software		3	–	5		18,864			16,737		3	-	5		19,504			19,108
						323,188			292,753						335,630			327,854
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization						(136,195	)		(114,456	)					(150,441	)		(143,437	)
Property and equipment, net					$	186,993			178,297					$	185,189			184,417

Table of June 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016, construction in process included approximately $0.2 and $1.1 million, respectively, related to construction costs for build-to-suit leases in process for which the Company was deemed the owner during the construction period.

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Capitalized real estate leases for build-to-suit stores includes the assets for the ~~Company’s~~Company’s buildings under capital lease finance obligations, and capitalized real estate leases includes assets for the Company’s buildings under capital lease obligations (see Note 6)6).

Depreciation and amortization expense for the three ~~and nine~~ months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016 is summarized as follows, dollars in thousands:

	Three months ended June 30,				Nine months ended June 30,				Three months ended December 31,
	2017		2016		2017		2016		2017		2016
Depreciation and amortization expense included in cost of goods sold and occupancy costs	$	275		220		792		639	$	196		248
Depreciation and amortization expense included in store expenses		6,871		5,851		20,068		17,084		6,850		6,519
Depreciation and amortization expense included in administrative expenses		373		309		1,105		894		369		354
Total depreciation and amortization expense	$	7,519		6,380		21,965		18,617	$	7,415		7,121

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88. Accrued Expenses

The composition of accrued expenses as of ~~June~~December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017 ~~and September 30, 2016~~ is summarized as follows, dollars in thousands:

	As of				As of
	June 30,		September 30,		December 31,		September 30,
	2017		2016		2017		2017
Payroll and employee-related expenses	$	7,156		4,395	$	7,849		5,391
Accrued property, sales and use tax payable		5,215		5,648		6,440		6,399
Accrued marketing expenses		1,973		567		454		648
Deferred revenue related to gift card sales		892		866		1,558		906
Other		834		972		876		820
Total accrued expenses	$	16,070		12,448	$	17,177		14,164

9. Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for in accordance with the provisions of ASC 740. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bas9. is. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are remeasured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized. The Company remeasured certain deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the rates at which they are expected to reverse in fiscal year 2018 at the blended federal rate of approximately 24.3%; those expected to reverse in future years, are remeasured at the new federal statutory rate of 21.0%.

Additionally, in calculating our annual effective tax rate, the Company has used assumptions and estimates that may change as a result of future guidance, interpretation, and rule-making from the Internal Revenue Service, the SEC, and the FASB and/or various other taxing jurisdictions. For example, the Company anticipates that state jurisdictions will continue to determine and announce their conformity to the Tax Reform Act, which could have an impact on its annual effective tax rate.

The remeasurement of the Company’s deferred tax balance resulted in a non-cash tax benefit of approximately $4.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2017.

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10.Related Party Transactions

The Company has ongoing relationships with related entities as noted below:

Chalet~~Chalet~~ Properties,~~LLC:~~LLC: The Company has five operating leases and one capital lease with Chalet Properties, LLC (Chalet). Chalet is owned by the Company’s four non-independent Board ~~members:~~members, Kemper Isely, Zephyr Isely, Heather Isely and Elizabeth Isely, and other related family members. Rent paid to Chalet was approximately ~~$0.3~~$0.3 million for each of the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016. ~~Rent paid to Chalet was approximately $0.9 million for each of the nine months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016.~~

Isely Family Land TrustLLC:The Company has one operating lease with the Isely Family Land Trust LLC (the Land Trust). The Land Trust is owned by the Isely Children’s Trust and by the Margaret A. Isely Family Trust. Rent paid to the Land Trust was ~~approximately $0.1~~less than $0.1 million for each of the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016. ~~Rent paid to the Land Trust was approximately $0.2 million for each of the nine months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016.~~

FTVC~~FTVC~~ LLC:The Company has one operating lease for a store location with FTVC LLC, which is owned by the Company’s four non-independent Board members and other related family members. Rent paid to FTVC LLC was less than ~~$0.1~~$0.1 million for each of the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016. ~~Rent paid to FTVC LLC was less than $0.1 million for each of the nine months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016.~~

1~~10.~~1. Commitments and Contingencies

The Company is periodically involved in various legal proceedings that are incidental to the conduct of its business, including but not limited to employment discrimination claims, customer injury claims and investigations. When the potential liability from a matter can be estimated and the loss is considered probable, the Company records the estimated loss. Due to uncertainties related to the resolution of lawsuits, investigations and claims, the ultimate outcome may differ from the estimates. ~~The~~Although the Company cannot predict with certainty the ultimate resolution of any lawsuits, investigations and claims asserted against ~~it. In management’s opinion, based upon the information available at this time, the Company~~it, management does not believe ~~that the outcome of~~ any currently pending legal proceeding to which the Company is a party will have a material adverse effect on its business, prospects, financial condition, cash flows or results of operations.

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Item2. ~~Management’s~~Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following ~~Management’s~~Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) should be read in conjunction with our unaudited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Form 10-Q and with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto in our Form 10-K.This MD&A contains forward-looking statements. Refer to “Forward-Looking ~~Statements”~~Statements”at the beginning of this Form 10-Q for an explanation of these types of statements. All references to a “fiscal year” refer to a year beginning on October 1 of the previous year and ending on September 30 of such year (for example, “fiscal year 2017” refers to the fiscal year from October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017).Summarized numbers included in this section, and corresponding percentage or basis point changes, may not sum due to the effects of rounding.

Company Overview

We operate natural and organic grocery and dietary supplement stores that are focused on providing high quality products at affordable prices, exceptional customer service, nutrition education and community outreach. We offer a variety of natural and organic groceries and dietary supplements that meet our strict quality standards. We believe we have been at the forefront of the natural and organic foods movement since our founding. We are headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado. As of ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017, we operated ~~140~~142 stores in 19 states, including Colorado, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. We also operate a bulk food repackaging facility and distribution center in Golden, Colorado.

We offer a variety of natural and organic groceries and dietary supplements that meet our strict quality guidelines. The size of our stores varies from 5,000 to 16,000 selling square feet. During the twelve months ~~endedJune 30,~~ended December 31, 2017, our new stores averaged approximately 11,000 selling square feet. Our new prototype store has approximately 10,000 square feet of selling space. We anticipate that in the future, a majority of our new stores will use the new prototype layout.

The growth in the organic and natural foods industry and growing consumer interest in health and nutrition ~~have~~have enabled us to continue to open new stores and enter new markets. During the five fiscal years ended September 30, ~~2016,~~2017, we increased our store count at a compound annual growth rate of ~~20.8%~~18.9%. In fiscal year ~~2016,~~2017, we opened 2314 new ~~stores. During~~stores, and we currently plan to open eight to 10 new stores in fiscal year 2018, two of which opened during the ~~nine~~three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017. Since December 31, 2017, we have opened 14one new ~~stores. We do not plan to open any additional new stores during the remainder of fiscal 2017.~~store in Texas. As of the date of this report, we have signed leases for ~~nine~~10 new stores that we plan to open in fiscal years 2018 and beyond. During fiscal year 2018, we plan to relocate three to four stores. During the ~~nine months~~quarter ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017, we relocated one store. ~~We relocated one store in July 2017, with no additional relocations planned for the three months ending September 30, 2017.~~

Performance Highlights

Key highlights of our performance for the three ~~and nine~~ months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 are discussed briefly below and in further detail throughout this MD&A. Key financial metrics, including, but not limited to, comparable store sales, daily average comparable store sales, mature store sales and daily average mature store sales are defined under the caption “Key Financial Metrics in Our Business,” presented later in this MD&A.

●

Net sales.Net sales were ~~$194.7~~$202.5 million for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017, an increase of ~~$15.4~~$18.9 million, or ~~8.6%~~10.3%, compared to net sales of ~~$179.3~~$183.6 million for the three months ended ~~June 30, 2016. Net sales were $570.5 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2017, an increase of $46.0 million, or 8.8%, compared to net sales of $524.5 million for the nine months ended June 30,~~December 31, 2016.

●

Comparable store ~~sales.~~sales and daily average comparable store sales. Comparable store sales and daily average comparable store sales for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 ~~decreased 0.7%~~each increased 4.7% compared to the three months ended ~~June 30, 2016. Comparable store sales for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 decreased 1.0% compared to the nine months ended June 30,~~December 31, 2016.

●

D~~aily average comparable store sales.~~Daily average comparable store sales, which removes the effect of one less selling day in the three months ended June 30, 2017 as a result of the shift of the Easter holiday, increased 0.4% and 0.7% for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Daily average comparable store sales, which removes the effect of one less selling day in the nine months ended June 30, 2017 as a result of the occurrence of leap year in fiscal 2016, decreased 0.7% for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 and increased 1.8% for the nine months ended June 30, 2016.

●

Mature store sales and daily average mature store sales.Mature store sales and daily average mature store sales for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 ~~decreased 2.0% and 0.9%, respectively,~~each increased 1.6% compared to the three months ended ~~June 30, 2016. Mature store sales and daily average mature store sales for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 decreased 2.5% and 2.1%, respectively, compared to the nine months ended June 30,~~December 31, 2016.

●

Net income.Net income was ~~$0.6~~$5.2 million for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017, ~~a decrease~~an increase of ~~$2.1~~$3.1 million, or ~~77.7%,~~151.4% compared to net income of ~~$2.7~~$2.1 million for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2016. Net income was ~~$5.7~~favorably impacted by $4.3 million ~~for~~due to the ~~nine months ended June 30, 2017, a decrease~~non-cash remeasurement of ~~$4.4 million, or 43.5%, compared to net income of $10.0 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2016.~~deferred tax assets and liabilities.

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EBITDA.Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) was ~~$9.2~~$9.6 million for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017, a decrease of ~~$1.2~~$1.7 million, or ~~11.5%~~14.9%, ~~compared to $10.4~~from $11.3 million for the three months ended ~~June 30, 2016. EBITDA was $33.3 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2017, a decrease of $2.5 million, or 6.9%, compared to $35.8 million for the nine months ended June 30,~~December 31, 2016. EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP. Refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section in this MD&A for a definition of EBITDA and a reconciliation of net income to EBITDA.

●

Liquidity.As of ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017, cash and cash equivalents was ~~$5.1~~$8.1 million, and there was ~~$16.5~~$24.4 million available for borrowing under our $50.0 million Credit Facility, net of undrawn, issued and outstanding letters of credit of $1.0 million.

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New store growth.We opened ~~five~~two new stores during the three months ended ~~June 30, 2017 and 14 new stores during the nine months ended June 30,~~December 31, 2017. We operated a total of ~~140~~142 stores as of ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017. We ~~do not~~ plan to open ~~any additional~~a total of eight to 10 new stores ~~during the remainder of~~in fiscal ~~2017,~~year 2018, which would result in an annual new store growth rate of ~~11.1%~~5.7% to 7.1% for fiscal year ~~2017.~~2018.


	●	Store Relocations and Remodels..~~We did not~~During fiscal year 2018, we plan to relocate ~~any stores during~~three to four stores. During the ~~three months~~quarter ended ~~June 30, 2017. We~~December 31, 2017, we relocated one ~~store during the nine months ended June 30, 2017. We relocated one store in July 2017, with no additional relocations planned for the three months ending September 30, 2017.~~store.

Industry Trends and Economics

We have identified the following recent trends and factors that have impacted and may continue to impact our results of operations and financial condition:

●

Impact of broader economic ~~trends.~~trends. The grocery industry and our sales are affected by general economic conditions, including, but not limited to, consumer spending, ~~macroeconomic trends,~~ the level of disposable consumer income, consumer debt, interest rates, the price of commodities, the political environment and consumer confidence. In this regard, we believe our financial results for the three ~~and nine~~ months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 ~~continue to reflect economic pressures~~reflected improvement in ~~several of~~ the oil and gas markets we serve, ~~due~~although they generally continue to ~~the lingering impact of depressed oil~~lag behind our non-oil and ~~natural~~ gas ~~prices and general economic uncertainty.~~markets.

●

Opportunities in the growing natural and organic grocery and dietary supplements industry.Our industry, which includes organic and natural foods and dietary supplements, continues to experience growth driven primarily by increased public interest in health and nutrition. Capitalizing on this opportunity, we continue to open new stores and enter new markets. As we open new stores, our results of operations have been and may continue to be materially adversely affected based on the timing and number of new stores we open, their initial sales and new lease costs. The length of time it takes for a new store to become profitable can vary depending on a number of factors, including location, competition, a new market versus an existing market, the strength of store management and general economic conditions. Once a new store is open, it typically grows at a faster rate than mature stores for several years. Mature stores are stores that have been open for any part of five fiscal years or longer.

As we expand across the United States and enter markets where consumers may not be as familiar with our brand, we seek to secure prime real estate locations for our stores to establish greater visibility with consumers in those markets. This strategy has resulted in higher lease costs, and we anticipate these increased costs will continue for the foreseeable future. Our financial results for the three ~~and nine~~ months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 reflect the effects of these factors, and we anticipate future periods will be similarly impacted.

Our performance is also impacted by trends regarding natural and organic products, dietary supplements and at-home meal ~~delivery and~~ preparation. Consumer preferences towards dietary supplements or natural and organic food products might shift as a result of, among other things, economic conditions, food safety perceptions, changing consumer choices and the cost of these products. ~~Our store offerings consist of natural and organic products and dietary supplements.~~ A change in consumer preferences away from our offerings, including those resulting from reductions or changes in our offerings, would have a material adverse effect on our business. Additionally, negative publicity regarding the safety of dietary supplements, product recalls or new or upgraded regulatory standards may adversely affect demand for the products we sell and could result in lower consumer traffic, sales and results of operations.

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Increased ~~Competition.~~Competition. The grocery and dietary supplement retail business is a large, fragmented and highly competitive industry, with few barriers to entry. Our competition varies by market and includes conventional supermarkets such as Kroger and Safeway, mass or discount retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, natural and gourmet markets such as Whole Foods and The Fresh Market, foreign-based discount retailers such as Aldi and Lidl, specialty food retailers such as Sprouts and Trader Joe’s, warehouse clubs such as Sam’s Club and Costco, independent health food stores, dietary supplement retailers, drug stores, farmers’ markets, food co-ops, online retailers such as Amazon, meal delivery services and multi-level marketers. Competition in the grocery industry is likely to intensify, and shopping dynamics may shift, as a result of, among other things, Amazon’s ~~agreement to acquire~~acquisition of Whole Foods ~~which was announced on June 16,~~in August 2017, the plans of Aldi and Lidl to expand their presence in the United States and the expanding availability of grocery ordering, pick-up and delivery options. These businesses compete with us on the basis of price, selection, quality, customer service, shopping experience, ease of ordering and delivery or any combination of these or other factors. They also compete with us for products and locations. In addition, some of our competitors are expanding to offer a greater range of natural and organic foods. We believe our commitment to carrying only carefully vetted, affordably priced and high-quality natural and organic products and dietary supplements, as well as our focus on providing nutritional education, differentiate us in the industry and provide a competitive advantage.In addition, we face internally generated competition when we open new stores in markets we already serve.

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Outlook

We believe there are several key factors that have contributed to our success and will enable us to increase our comparable store sales and continue to ~~profitably expand.~~expand profitably. These factors include a loyal customer base, increasing transaction count and/or basket size, growing consumer interest in nutrition and wellness, a differentiated shopping experience that focuses on customer service, nutrition education and a shopper friendly retail environment, and our focus on high quality, affordable natural and organic groceries and dietary supplements.

We plan for the foreseeable future to continue opening new stores and entering new ~~markets.~~markets. The rate of new store growth in the foreseeable future is expected to moderate somewhat compared to recent years, depending on economic and business conditions and other factors. During the past few years, we have expanded our infrastructure to enable us to support our continued unit growth. This has included implementing our enterprise resource planning system, hiring key personnel, developing efficient new store opening construction and operations processes and relocating and expanding our bulk food repackaging facility and distribution center. ~~During fiscal year 2015,~~In addition, we ~~redesigned~~have taken a number of actions in recent years which we believe have enhanced customer loyalty and increased customer engagement, including redesigning our website (~~www.naturalgrocers.com~~~~) to enhance functionality, create a more engaging user experience~~(www.naturalgrocers.com), enhancing digital and ~~increase its reach~~social media presence, and ~~effectiveness. In addition, in fiscal year 2015 we introduced~~introducing the {NN}}power^®customer appreciation program at all of our stores, which we believe has enhanced customer loyalty and increased customer engagement levels. In fiscal year 2017, we have implemented an improved job applicant tracking and onboarding system, which we expect will help us to better attract, identify and hire new employees.stores.

We believe there are opportunities for us to continue to expand our store base ~~while also expanding~~, expand profitability and ~~increasing~~increase comparable store sales. However, future sales growth, including comparable store sales, and our profitability could vary due to increasing competitive conditions in the natural and organic grocery and dietary supplement industry and regional and general economic conditions. In this regard, our comparable store sales declined during the nine months ended June 30, 2017 compared to the prior year period as a result of the impact of increased competition in the natural and organic retail sector, internally generated competition due to our opening new stores in existing markets and economic pressures in several of the markets we serve due to the general economic uncertainty and the lingering impact of depressed oil and natural gas prices.

As we continue to expand our store base, we believe there are opportunities for increased leverage in costs, such as administrative expenses, as well as increased economies of scale in sourcing products. However, due to our commitment to providing high-quality products at affordable prices and increased competition, such sourcing economies and efficiencies at our bulk food repacking facility and distribution center may not be reflected in our gross margin in the near term. In addition, our ability to leverage costs may be limited due to the fixed nature of our rent obligations and related occupancy expenses.

Our operating results may be affected by the above-described factors as well as a variety of other internal and external factors and trends described more fully in Item 1A –- “Risk Factors” in our Form 10-K and Item 1A – “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-Q.

Key Financial Metrics in Our Business

In assessing our performance, we consider a variety of performance and financial measures. The key measures are as follows:

Net sales

Our net sales are comprised of gross sales net of discounts, in-house coupons and returns and allowances. In comparing net sales between periods we monitor the following:

●

Change in comparable store sales.We begin to include sales from a store in comparable store sales on the first day of the thirteenth full month following the store’s opening. We monitor the percentage change in comparable store sales by comparing sales from all stores in our comparable store base for a reporting period against sales from the same stores for the same number of operating months in the comparable reporting period of the prior year. When a store that is included in comparable store sales is remodeled or relocated, we continue to consider sales from that store to be comparable store sales. Our comparable store sales data may not be presented on the same basis as our competitors. We use the term “new stores” to refer to stores that have been open for less than thirteen months.

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Change in daily average comparable store sales. Daily average comparable store sales are comparable store sales divided by the number of selling days in each period. We use this metric to remove the effect of differences in the number of selling days we are open during the comparable periods (for example, as a result of leap years or the Easter holiday shift between quarters).

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Change in mature store sales.We begin to include sales from a store in mature store sales after the store has been open for any part of five fiscal years (for example, our mature stores for fiscal year ~~2017~~2018 are stores that opened during or before fiscal year ~~2012)~~2013). We monitor the percentage change in mature store sales by comparing sales from all stores in our mature store base for a reporting period against sales from the same stores for the same number of operating months in the comparable reporting period of the prior year. When a store that is included in mature store sales is remodeled or relocated, we continue to consider sales from that store to be mature store sales. Our mature store sales data may not be presented on the same basis as our competitors.

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Change in daily average mature store sales.Daily average mature store sales are mature store sales divided by the number of selling days in each period. We use this metric to remove the effect of differences in the number of selling days during the comparable periods (for example, as a result of leap years or the Easter holiday shift between quarters).

●

Transaction count.Transaction count represents the number of transactions reported at our stores during the period and includes transactions that are voided, return transactions and exchange transactions.

●

Average transaction size.Average transaction size, or basket size, is calculated by dividing net sales by transaction count for a given time period. We use this metric to track the trends in average dollars spent in our stores per customer transaction.

Cost of goods sold and occupancy costs

Our cost of goods sold and occupancy costs include the cost of inventory sold during the period (net of discounts and allowances), shipping and handling costs, distribution and supply chain costs (including the costs of our bulk food repackaging facility), buying costs, shrink expense and store occupancy costs. Store occupancy costs include rent, common area maintenance and real estate taxes. Depreciation expense included in cost of goods sold relates to depreciation of assets directly used at our bulk food repackaging facility. The components of our cost of goods sold and occupancy costs may not be identical to those of our competitors, and as a result, our cost of goods sold and occupancy costs data included in this Form 10-Q may not be identical to those of our competitors, and may not be comparable to similar data made available by our competitors. Occupancy costs as a percentage of sales typically decrease as new stores mature and increase sales. Rent payments for leases classified as capital and financing lease obligations are not recorded in cost of goods sold and occupancy costs. Rather, these rent payments are recognized as a reduction of the related obligations and as interest expense. Additionally, depreciation expense related to the capitalized asset is recorded in store expenses.

Gross profit and gross margin

Gross profit is equal to our net sales less our cost of goods sold and occupancy costs. Gross margin is gross profit as a percentage of net sales. Gross margin is impacted by changes in retail prices, product costs, occupancy costs and the mix of products sold, as well as the rate at which we open new stores.

Store expenses

Store expenses consist of store level expenses, such as salary and benefits, share-based compensation, supplies, utilities, depreciation, advertising, bank credit card charges and other related costs associated with ~~marketing,~~ operations and purchasing support. Depreciation expense included in store expenses relates to depreciation for assets directly used at the stores, including depreciation on capitalized real estate leases, land improvements, leasehold improvements, fixtures and equipment and computer hardware and ~~software.Additionally,~~software. Additionally, store expenses include any gain or loss recorded on the disposal of fixed assets, primarily related to store relocations. The ~~largest component~~majority of store expenses isconsist of labor-related ~~expenses.~~expenses, which we closely manage and which trend closely with sales. Labor-related expenses as a percentage of sales tend to be higher at new stores compared to comparable stores, as new stores require a certain level of staffing in order to maintain adequate levels of customer service combined with lower sales. As new stores increase their sales, labor-related expenses as a percentage of sales typically decrease.

~~Table of Contents~~

Administrative expenses

Administrative expenses consist of home ~~office-related~~office-related expenses, such as salary and benefits, share-based compensation, office supplies, hardware and software expenses, depreciation and amortization expense, occupancy costs (including rent, common area maintenance, real estate taxes and utilities), professional services expenses, expenses associated with ~~our Board, expenses related to compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (Sarbanes-Oxley),~~being a public company, and other general and administrative expenses. Depreciation expense included in administrative expenses relates to depreciation for assets directly used at the home office including depreciation on land improvements, leasehold improvements, fixtures and equipment and computer hardware and software.

Pre-opening and relocation expenses

Pre-opening and relocation expenses may include rent expense, salaries, advertising, supplies and other miscellaneous costs incurred prior to the store opening. Rent expense is generally incurred from one to four months prior to a store’s opening date for store leases classified as operating. For store leases classified as capital or financing leases, no pre-opening rent expense is recognized. Other pre-opening and relocation expenses are generally incurred in the 60 days prior to the store opening. Certain advertising and promotional costs associated with opening a new store may be incurred both before and after the store opens. All pre-opening and relocation costs are expensed as incurred.

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Operating income

Operating income consists of gross profit less store expenses, administrative expenses and pre-opening and relocation expenses. Operating income can be impacted by a number of factors, including the timing of new store openings and store relocations, whether or not a store lease is classified as an operating, capital or financing lease, as well as fluctuations in store expenses and administrative expenses. The amount of time it takes for new stores to become profitable can vary depending on a number of factors, including location, competition, a new market versus an existing market and the strength of store management.

Interest expense

Interest expense consists of the interest associated with capital and financing lease obligations and interest we incur on outstanding indebtedness, including under our Credit Facility, all net of capitalized interest.

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Results of Operations

The following table presents key components of our results of operations expressed as a percentage of net sales for the periods presented:

	Three months ended June 30,						Nine months ended June 30,						Three months ended December 31,
	2017			2016			2017			2016			2017			2016
Statements of Income Data:*
Net sales		100.0	%		100.0			100.0			100.0			100.0	%		100.0
Cost of goods sold and occupancy costs		72.9			71.6			72.1			71.2			73.7			71.6
Gross profit		27.1			28.4			27.9			28.8			26.3			28.4
Store expenses		23.1			22.4			22.7			21.9			22.3			22.8
Administrative expenses		2.6			2.7			2.6			2.8			2.6			2.7
Pre-opening and relocation expenses		0.5			1.1			0.6			0.8			0.3			0.7
Operating income		0.9			2.2			2.0			3.3			1.1			2.3
Interest expense		(0.4	)		(0.4	)		(0.5	)		(0.4	)		(0.5	)		(0.5	)
Income before income taxes		0.4			1.8			1.5			2.9			0.5			1.7
Provision for income taxes		(0.1	)		(0.3	)		(0.5	)		(1.0	)
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes														2.0			(0.6	)
Net income		0.3	%		1.5			1.0			1.9			2.6	%		1.1
__________________________
*Figures may not sum due to rounding.

Number of stores at end of period		140			118			140			118			142			131
Number of stores opened during the period		5			6			14			15			2			5

Total store unit count increase over prior 12 months		18.6	%		19.2			18.6			19.2
Total store unit count increase period over period														8.4	%		22.4
Change in comparable store sales		(0.7	)		1.8			(1.0	)		2.1			4.7			(0.6	)
Change in daily average comparable store sales		0.4			0.7			(0.7	)		1.8			4.7			(0.6	)
Change in mature store sales		(2.0	)		(0.2	)		(2.5	)		(0.4	)		1.6			(2.3	)
Change in daily average mature store sales		(0.9	)		(1.3	)		(2.1	)		(0.8	)		1.6			(2.3	)

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Three~~Three~~ months ended~~June 30~~December 31, 2017compared to the three months ended~~June 30~~December 31, 2016

The following table summarizes our results of operations and other operating data for the periods presented, dollars in thousands:

	Three months ended June 30,						Change In						Three months ended December 31,						Change In
	2017			2016			Dollars			Percent			2017			2016			Dollars			Percent
Statements of Income Data:
Net sales	$	194,709			179,274			15,435			8.6	%	$	202,480			183,577			18,903			10.3	%
Cost of goods sold and occupancy costs		141,928			128,344			13,584			10.6			149,321			131,424			17,897			13.6
Gross profit		52,781			50,930			1,851			3.6			53,159			52,153			1,006			1.9
Store expenses		45,028			40,095			4,933			12.3			45,166			41,843			3,323			7.9
Administrative expenses		5,105			4,813			292			6.1			5,257			4,883			374			7.6
Pre-opening and relocation expenses		970			2,007			(1,037	)		(51.7	)		543			1,261			(718	)		(56.9	)
Operating income		1,678			4,015			(2,337	)		(58.2	)		2,193			4,166			(1,973	)		(47.4	)
Interest expense		(876	)		(768	)		(108	)		14.1			(1,089	)		(983	)		(106	)		10.8
Income before income taxes		802			3,247			(2,445	)		(75.3	)		1,104			3,183			(2,079	)		(65.3	)
Provision for income taxes		(204	)		(567	)		363			(64.0	)
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes														4,077			(1,122	)		5,199			(463.4	)
Net income	$	598			2,680			(2,082	)		(77.7	)	$	5,181			2,061			3,120			151.4

Net sales

Net sales increased ~~$15.4~~$18.9 million, or ~~8.6%~~10.3%, to ~~$194.7~~$202.5 million for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 compared to ~~$179.3~~$183.6 million for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2016, ~~primarily~~ due to a ~~$16.7~~$10.3 million increase in sales from new stores ~~partially offset by~~and a ~~$1.3~~$8.6 million ~~decrease~~increase in comparable store ~~sales, which was due to the loss of a selling day as a result of the shift of the Easter holiday in the three months ended June 30, 2017.~~sales. Daily average comparable store sales ~~increased0.4%~~increased 4.7% for the three months ~~endedJune 30,~~ended December 31, 2017 compared to the three months ~~endedJune 30,~~ended December 31, 2016. The daily average comparable store sales increase resulted from a ~~0.3% decrease~~4.8% increase in daily average transaction count ~~and~~offset by a ~~0.7% increase~~0.1% decrease in average transaction size. ~~We believe the increase in daily average comparable store sales reflects the success of certain of our recent marketing initiatives and our operational focus on sales initiatives.~~ Comparable store average transaction size was ~~$35.06~~$35.54 for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017. Daily average mature store sales ~~decreased 0.9%~~increased 1.6% for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2016. The increase in comparable store sales during the three months ended December 31, 2017 was primarily driven by several marketing initiatives and promotional pricing campaigns. In addition, we believe the increase in comparable store sales during the three months ended December 31, 2017 reflected enhanced focus on leadership, training, and improved operating processes in our stores.

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Gross profit

Gross profit increased ~~$1.9~~$1.0 million, or ~~3.6%~~1.9%, to ~~$52.8~~$53.2 million for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 compared to ~~$50.9~~$52.2 million for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2016, primarily driven by an increase in the number of comparable ~~stores, partially offset by lower gross profit at non-comparable~~ stores. Gross margin decreased to ~~27.1%~~26.3% for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 from 28.4% for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2016. ~~Gross~~Product margin as a percentage of sales during the three months ended December 31, 2017 decreased due to our promotional pricing campaigns and a shift in sales mix to lower margin products. Additionally, gross margin during the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 was negatively impacted by an increase in occupancy costs as a percentage of sales, primarily due to the ~~addition of new stores, and the loss of one selling day during the quarter. We have experienced~~ higher average lease expenses experienced at newer format stores opened since fiscal year ~~2012~~2013 and at relocated stores. The increase in occupancy cost as a percentage of sales also reflects the decrease in average mature store sales combined with the fixed nature of our rent obligations and related occupancy expenses. Additionally, gross margin was negatively impacted by decreases in product margin reflecting a shift in product category mix towards grocery and increased promotional activity, partially offset by favorable shrink expense trends, all as a percentage of sales.

We had 1718 and 1516 store leases that were classified as capital and financing lease obligations for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. If these leases had qualified as operating leases, the straight-line rent expense would have been included in occupancy costs, and our costs of goods sold and occupancy costs as a percentage of sales during the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016, would have been approximately 55 basis points higher for each ~~of the periods.~~period.

Store expenses

Store expenses increased ~~$4.9million,~~$3.3 million, or ~~12.3%~~7.9%, to ~~$45.0~~$45.2 million for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 compared to ~~$40.1~~$41.8 million for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2016. Store expenses as a percentage of sales were ~~23.1%~~22.3% and ~~22.4%~~22.8% for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The ~~increase~~decrease in store expenses as a percentage of sales was primarily due to ~~increases~~decreases in ~~depreciation, utilities,~~labor-related expenses, marketing and ~~other store expenses, partially~~depreciation, offset by ~~slightly lower labor-related expenses.~~an increase in utilities.

Administrative expenses

Administrative expenses increased ~~$0.3~~$0.4 million, or ~~6.1%~~7.6%, to ~~$5.1~~$5.3 million for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 compared to ~~$4.8~~$4.9 million for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2016. The increase in administrative expenses was due primarily ~~due~~ to ~~an increase in expenses related to compliance with the requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley.~~increased compensation expenses. Administrative expenses as a percentage of sales were 2.6% and 2.7% for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

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Pre-opening and relocation expenses

Pre-opening and relocation expenses decreased ~~$1.0~~$0.7 million, or ~~51.7%~~56.9%, for the three months ended December 31, 2017 to ~~$1.0~~$0.5 million compared to $1.3 million for the three months ended ~~June 30, 2017 compared to $2.0 million for the three months ended June 30,~~December 31, 2016, due to the impact of the number and timing of new store openings and relocations. We opened two new stores and relocated one store during the three months ended December 31, 2017 and opened five new stores and relocated no stores during the three months ended ~~June 30, 2017 and opened six new stores and relocated one existing store during the three months ended June 30,~~December 31, 2016. ~~Pre-opening and relocation expenses as a percentage of sales were 0.5% and 1.1% for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.~~

Interest expense

Interest expense, net of capitalized interest, increased $0.1 million, or ~~14.1%~~10.8%, for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2016. The increase in interest expense is primarily due to higher average borrowings under our Credit Facility and an increase in the number of capital leases during the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017. If the capital and financing lease obligations had qualified as operating leases, interest expense as a percent of sales ~~for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016~~ would have been approximately 3545 and 40 basis points lower than as reported ~~in each period.~~for the three months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Income taxes

~~Our~~Income taxes decreased $5.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2017 to a $4.1 million benefit compared to $1.1 million expense for the three months ended December 31, 2016. Exclusive of the adjustment to deferred income tax assets and liabilities, the Company’s effective income tax rate for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 ~~and 2016~~ was ~~25.5% and 17.5%, respectively.~~approximately 23.5% as compared to 35.2% for the three months ended December 31, 2016. The ~~increase~~decrease in the effective income tax rate for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 ~~was primarily the~~is a result of ~~a lower effective income~~the recent tax ~~rate for the three months ended June 30, 2016 due to higher federal and state tax credits in the provision for that period.~~reform.

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Net income

Net income was ~~$0.6~~$5.2 million, or ~~$0.03~~$0.23 diluted earnings per share, for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 compared to ~~$2.7~~$2.1 million, or ~~$0.12~~$0.09 diluted earnings per share, for the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2016.

~~Nine months~~ ~~ended~~~~June 30~~~~, 2017 compared to~~ Excluding the~~nine months~~ ~~ended~~~~June 30~~~~, 2016~~

~~The following table summarizes our results of operations and other operating data for the periods presented, dollars in thousands:~~

Nine months ended
June 30,

Change In

2017

2016

Dollars

Percent

Statements of Income Data:

Net sales
$ 570,489 524,455 46,034 8.8
%
Cost of goods sold and occupancy costs
411,397 373,627 37,770 10.1
Gross profit
159,092 150,828 8,264 5.5
Store expenses
129,271 114,768 14,503 12.6
Administrative expenses
14,947 14,503 444 3.1
Pre-opening and relocation expenses
3,515 4,399 (884 ) (20.1
)
Operating income
11,359 17,158 (5,799 ) (33.8
)
Interest expense
(2,738
)
(2,154
)
(584 ) (27.1
)
Income before income taxes
8,621 15,004 (6,383 ) (42.5
)
Provision for income taxes
(2,966
)
(4,999
)
2,033 (40.7
)
Net income
$ 5,655 10,005 (4,350 ) (43.5
)
~~Net sales~~
Net sales increased $46.0 million, or 8.8%, to $570.5 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 compared to $524.5 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2016, primarily due to a $51.4 million increase in sales from new stores, partially offset by a $5.4 million decrease in comparable store sales. The decline in comparable store sales during the nine months ended June 30, 2017 was due to the impact of increased competition in the natural and organic sector, internally generated competition due to opening new stores in our existing markets and economic pressures in several of the markets we serve due to the lingering impact of depressed oil and natural gas prices and general economic uncertainty and, to a lesser extent, the loss of one selling day due to the occurrence of leap year in fiscal year 2016. Daily average comparable store sales decreased0.7% for the nine months endedJune 30, 2017 compared to the nine months endedJune 30, 2016. The daily average comparable store sales decrease resulted from a 0.8% decrease in daily average transaction count and a 0.2% increase in average transaction size. Comparable store average transaction size was $35.65 for the nine months ended June 30, 2017. Daily average mature store sales decreased 2.1% for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 compared to the nine months ended June 30, 2016.
~~Gross profit~~
Gross profit increased $8.3 million, or 5.5%, to $159.1 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 compared to $150.8 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2016, primarily driven by an increase in the number of comparable stores and a slight improvement in product gross margin. Gross margin decreased to 27.9% for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 from 28.8% for the nine months ended June 30, 2016. Gross margin during the nine months ended June 30, 2017 was negatively impacted by an increase in occupancy costs as a percentage of sales, primarily due to the higher average lease expenses experienced at newer format stores opened since fiscal year 2012 and at relocated stores. The increase in occupancy cost as a percentage of sales also reflects the decrease in average mature store sales combined with the fixed nature of our rent obligations and related occupancy expenses.
We had 17 and 15 store leases that were classified as capital and financing lease obligations for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. If these leases had qualified as operating leases, the straight-line rent expense would have been included in occupancy costs, and our costs of goods sold and occupancy costs as a percentage of sales during the nine months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, would have been approximately 55 basis points higher for each of the periods.
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~~Store expenses~~
Store expenses increased $14.5million, or 12.6%, to $129.3 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 compared to $114.8 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2016. Store expenses as a percentage of sales were 22.7% and 21.9% for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in store expenses as a percentage of sales was primarily due to increases in labor-related expenses, depreciation, utilities and other store expenses partially offset by lower marketing expenses.
~~Administrative expenses~~
Administrative expenses increased $0.4 million, or 3.1%, to $14.9 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 compared to $14.5 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2016. The increase in administrative expenses was due to increased public company costs related to compliance with the requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley. Administrative expenses as a percentage of sales were 2.6% and 2.8% for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
~~Pre-opening and relocation expenses~~
Pre-opening and relocation expenses decreased $0.9 million, or 20.1%, to $3.5 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 compared to $4.4 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2016, due to the favorable impact of the ~~number~~remeasurement of our deferred tax assets and timing of new store openings and relocations. We opened 14 new stores and relocated one store during the nine months ended June 30, 2017 and opened 15 new stores, relocated three stores and remodeled one store during the nine months ended June 30, 2016. Pre-opening and relocation expensesliabilities as a ~~percentage~~result of ~~sales were 0.6% and 0.8% for~~ the ~~nine months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.~~
~~Interest expense~~
~~Interest expense,~~enactment of the Tax Reform Act, net ~~of capitalized interest, increased $0.6~~income was $0.8 million or 27.1%, for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 compared to the nine months ended June 30, 2016. The increase in interest expense is primarily due to higher average borrowings under our Credit Facility and an increase in the number of capital leases during the nine months ended June 30, 2017. If the capital and financing lease obligations had qualified as operating leases, interest expense as a percent of sales for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 would have been approximately 35 basis points lower than as reported in each period.
~~Income taxes~~
Our effective income tax rate for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 was 34.4% and 33.3%, respectively. The increase in the effective income tax rate for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 was primarily due to the favorable return to provision adjustment for the nine months ended June 30, 2016.
~~Net income~~
~~Net income was $5.7 million, or $0.25~~$0.04 diluted earnings per share for the ~~nine~~three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 compared to ~~$10.0~~$2.1 million, or ~~$0.44~~$0.09 diluted earnings per share, for the ~~nine~~three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2016.

Non-GAAP financial measures

EBITDA

EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP. We define EBITDA as net income before interest expense, provision for income ~~taxes~~taxes and depreciation and amortization. The following table reconciles net income to EBITDA for the periods presented, dollars in thousands:

Three months ended
June 30,

Nine months ended
June 30,

2017

2016

2017

2016

Net income
$ 598 2,680 5,655 10,005
Interest expense
876 768 2,738 2,154
Provision for income taxes
204 567 2,966 4,999
Depreciation and amortization
7,519 6,380 21,965 18,617
EBITDA
$ 9,197 10,395 33,324 35,775
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Three months ended
December 31,

2017

2016

Net income
$ 5,181 2,061
Interest expense
1,089 983
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes
(4,077
)
1,122
Depreciation and amortization
7,415 7,121
EBITDA
$ 9,608 11,287

~~EBITDA~~EBITDA decreased ~~11.5%~~14.9% to ~~$9.2~~$9.6 million in the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 compared to ~~$10.4~~$11.3 million for the three months ended ~~June 30, 2016. EBITDA decreased 6.9% to $33.3 million in the nine months ended June 30, 2017 compared to $35.8 million for the nine months ended June 30,~~December 31, 2016. EBITDA as a ~~percent~~percentage of sales was 4.7% and ~~5.8%~~6.1% in the three months ended ~~June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. EBITDA as a percent of sales was 5.8% and 6.8% in the nine months ended June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Stores with leases that are classified as capital and financing lease obligations, rather than being reflected as operating leases, increased EBITDA as a percentage of sales by approximately 55 basis points for each of the three months ended ~~June 30, 2017 and 2016, and by approximately 55 basis points for each of the nine months ended June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016, due to the impact on cost of goods sold and occupancy costs as discussed above, as well as occupancy costs that would have been included in pre-opening expenses prior to the stores’ opening dates if these leases had been accounted for as operating leases.
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Management believes that some investors’ understanding of our performance is enhanced by including EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure. We believe EBITDA provides additional information about: (i) our operating performance, because it assists us in comparing the operating performance of our stores on a consistent basis, as it removes the impact of non-cash depreciation and amortization expense as well as items not directly resulting from our core operations such as interest expense and income taxes and (ii) our performance and the effectiveness of our operational strategies. Additionally, EBITDA is a component of a measure in our financial covenants under our Credit Facility. Further, our incentive compensation plan bases incentive compensation payments on ~~EBITDA.~~EBITDA, among other measures.

Furthermore, management believes some investors use EBITDA as a supplemental measure to evaluate the overall operating performance of companies in our industry. Management believes that some investors’ understanding of our performance is enhanced by including this non-GAAP financial measure as a reasonable basis for comparing our ongoing results of operations. By providing this non-GAAP financial measure, together with a reconciliation from net income, we believe we are enhancing analysts’ and investors’ understanding of our business and our results of operations, as well as assisting analysts and investors in evaluating how well we are executing our strategic initiatives.

Our competitors may define EBITDA differently, and as a result, our measure of EBITDA may not be directly comparable to those of other companies. Items excluded from EBITDA are significant components in understanding and assessing financial performance. EBITDA is a supplemental measure of operating performance that does not represent, and should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to, or substitute for, net income or other financial statement data presented in the consolidated financial statements as indicators of financial performance. EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and should not be considered in isolation, or as an alternative to, or as a substitute for, analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of the limitations are:

●
EBITDA does not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;

●
EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;

●
EBITDA does not reflect any impact for straight-line rent expense for leases classified as capital and financing lease obligations;

●
EBITDA does not reflect the interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments on our debt;

●
EBITDA does not reflect our tax expense or the cash requirements to pay our taxes; and

●
although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future and EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements.

Due to these limitations, EBITDA should not be considered as a measure of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business. We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our GAAP results and using EBITDA as supplemental information.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our ongoing primary sources of liquidity are cash generated from operations, current balances of cash and cash equivalents and borrowings under the Credit Facility. Our primary uses of cash are for purchases of inventory, operating expenses, capital expenditures predominantly in connection with opening, relocating and remodeling stores, interest and principal payments for outstanding indebtedness and corporate taxes. As of ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017, we had ~~$5.1~~$8.1 million in cash and cash equivalents, as well as ~~$16.5~~$24.4 million available for borrowing under our Credit Facility.
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~~Table of Contents~~

On May 5, 2016, our Board authorized a two-year share repurchase program pursuant to which the Company may expend up to $10.0 million to repurchase shares of the Company’s common ~~stock.During~~stock. During the three ~~and nine~~ months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017, we ~~repurchased30,000~~repurchased 101,573 shares of our common stock ~~for approximately $0.3 million (an average price of $8.71 per share)~~ under the share repurchase program. We expect funding for any future share repurchases will come from operating cash flow, excess cash and/or borrowings under our Credit Facility. The timing and the amount of shares repurchased will be dictated by our capital needs and stock market conditions.

We plan to continue to open new stores, which may require us to borrow additional amounts under the Credit Facility. We plan to spend approximately ~~$2.2~~$20 million to ~~$4.2~~$25 million on capital expenditures during the remainder of fiscal year ~~2017 primarily~~2018 in connection with ~~one~~six to eight additional new store ~~relocation~~openings and ~~the acquisition of property, plant and equipment not previously paid for.~~two to three additional store relocations. We believe that cash and cash equivalents, together with the cash generated from operations and the borrowing availability under our Credit Facility will be sufficient to meet our working capital needs and planned capital expenditures, including capital expenditures related to new store needs for at least the next twelve months. Our working capital position benefits from the fact that we generally collect cash from sales to customers the same day or, in the case of credit or debit card transactions, within days from the related sale.

20
Table of Contents
We anticipate that our new stores will require, on average, an upfront capital investment of approximately ~~$2.2~~$2.2 million per store consisting of capital expenditures of approximately ~~$1.7~~$1.6 million, net of tenant allowances, initial inventory of approximately $0.3 million, net of payables, and pre-opening expenses of approximately ~~$0.2~~$0.3 million.

Following is a summary of our operating, investing and financing activities for the periods presented, dollars in thousands:

Nine months ended
June 30,

Three months ended
December 31,

2017

2016

2017

2016

Net cash provided by operating activities
$ 35,857 20,732 $ 10,969 14,094
Net cash used in investing activities
(34,163
)
(39,290
)
(4,884
)
(10,493
)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities
(588
)
18,346
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
1,106 (212
)
Net cash used in financing activities
(4,517
)
(476
)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
1,568 3,125
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
4,017 2,915 6,521 4,017
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
$ 5,123 2,703 $ 8,089 7,142

O~~Operating~~perating Activities

Net ~~cash~~cash provided by operating activities consists primarily of net income adjusted for non-cash items, including depreciation and amortization and changes in deferred taxes, and the effect of working capital changes. ~~Net cash~~Cash provided by operating activities ~~increased $15.1~~decreased $3.1 million, or ~~72.9%~~22.2%, to ~~$35.9~~$11.0 million for the ~~nine~~three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 compared to ~~$20.7~~$14.1 million for the ~~nine~~three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2016. The ~~increase~~decrease in cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to a ~~change~~decrease in ~~working capital driven by accrued expenses, inventory and other purchases,~~accounts payable, partially offset by a decrease in ~~net income,~~inventory, as adjusted for non-cash items such as depreciation and amortization resulting from the addition of new ~~stores and deferred tax expense.~~stores. Our working capital requirements for inventory will likely increase as we continue to open new stores. ~~To effectively manage increases in inventory, we continue to focus on optimizing average store inventory.~~

Investing Activities

Net ~~cash~~cash used in investing activities decreased ~~$5.1~~$5.6 million, or ~~13%~~53.4%, to ~~$34.2~~$4.9 million for the ~~nine~~three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 compared to ~~$39.3~~$10.5 million for the ~~nine~~three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2016. This decrease was due to an $8.1 million decrease in cash paid for property and equipment, which was driven by fewer new store openings, relocations and remodels in the quarter ended December 31, 2017. This decrease was partially offset by $2.6 million proceeds, net of commissions, related to the sale/leaseback ofon one store building ~~and fewer new and relocated stores during~~in the ~~nine months~~quarter ended ~~June 30, 2017~~December 31, 2016.

Financing Activities

Cash ~~(used in) provided by~~used in financing activities consists primarily of borrowings and repayments under our Credit Facility and payments of capital and financing lease obligations. Cash used in financing activities was ~~$0.6~~$4.5 million and $0.5 million for the ~~nine~~three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 compared to cash provided by financing activities of $18.3 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2016. The change was primarily the result of lower net incremental borrowings on the Credit Facility for the nine months ended June 30, 2017 compared to the nine months ended June 30, 2016.and 2016, respectively.

Credit ~~Facility~~Facility

The amount available for borrowing under the Credit Facility is ~~$45.0~~$50.0 million, including a $5.0 million sublimit for standby letters of credit. The operating company is the borrower under the Credit Facility and its obligations under the Credit Facility are guaranteed by the holding company and VC2. The Credit Facility is secured by a lien on substantially all of the Company’s assets. The Company has the ability to increase the amount available for borrowing under the Credit Facility by an additional amount that may not exceed $5.0 million if the lenders agree to provide an additional commitment or commitments. The Company has the right to borrow, prepay and re-borrow amounts under the Credit Facility at any time prior to the maturity date. The Credit Facility matures on January 31, 2021.
22
~~Table of Contents~~

For floating rate borrowings under the Credit Facility, interest is determined by the ~~lender’s~~lender’s administrative agent based on the most recent compliance certificate of the operating company and stated at the base rate less the lender spread based upon certain financial measures. For fixed rate borrowings under the Credit Facility, interest is determined by quoted LIBOR rates for the interest period plus the lender spread based upon certain financial measures. The unused commitment fee is based upon certain financial measures.

The Credit Facility requires compliance with certain customary operational and financial covenants, including a leverage ratio. The Credit Facility also contains certain other customary limitations on the ~~Company’s~~Company’s ability to incur additional debt, guarantee other obligations, grant liens on assets and make investments or acquisitions, among other limitations. Additionally, the Credit Facility prohibits the payment of cash dividends, except that so long as no default exists or would arise as a result thereof, the operating company may pay cash dividends to the holding company for various audit, accounting, tax, securities, indemnification, reimbursement, insurance and other reasonable expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business, and for repurchases of shares of common stock in an amount not to exceed $10.0 million.
21
Table of Contents

We had ~~$27.5~~$24.6 million outstanding under the Credit Facility as of ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and ~~$27.4~~$28.4 million outstanding under the Credit Facility as of September 30, ~~2016.~~2017. As of each of ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and September 30, ~~2016,~~2017, we had undrawn, issued and outstanding letters of credit of $1.0 million, which were reserved against the amount available for borrowing under the terms of the Credit Facility. We had ~~$16.5~~$24.4 million available for borrowing under the Credit Facility as of ~~June~~December 31, 2017 and $20.6 million available for borrowing under the Credit Facility as of September 30, 2017.
As of ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and September 30, ~~2016,~~2017, the Company was in compliance with the ~~debt~~financial covenants under the Credit Facility.

Share Repurchases

Certain information about the Company's share repurchases is set forth under the heading "Share Repurchases" in Note 5 of Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q and in Part II, Item 2 of this Form 10-Q.
~~Contractual Obligations~~

~~The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of June 30, 2017, dollars in thousands:~~

Payments Due by Period

Total

Less than
1 year

1 - 3 years

3 - 5 years

More than
5 years

Operating leases⁽¹⁾
$ 507,720 39,267 79,632 76,179 312,642
Capital and financing lease obligations, including principal and interest payments⁽²⁾
48,055 4,068 8,383 8,465 27,139
Contractual obligations for construction related activities⁽³⁾
- - - - -
Debt obligations⁽⁴⁾
27,477 - - 27,477 -
Interest payments⁽⁵⁾
1,741 426 853 462 -
$ 584,993 43,761 88,868 112,583 339,781
⁽¹⁾ ~~Represents the minimum lease payments due under our operating leases, excluding annual common area maintenance, insurance and taxes related to our operating lease obligations.~~
⁽²⁾
Represents the payments due under our capital and financing lease obligations for 17 stores, of which 16 were open as of June 30, 2017. We do not record rent expense for these capital leases, but rather rental payments under the capital leases are recognized as a reduction of the capital and financing lease obligations and interest expense.
⁽³⁾
Contractual obligations for construction-related activities include future payments to general contractors that are legally binding as of June 30, 2017 and relate to new store construction, relocations and remodels.
⁽⁴⁾
Represents the outstanding balance on our Credit Facility as of June 30, 2017. For purposes of this table, the outstanding balance is considered outstanding until January 31, 2021, which is the maturity date of the Credit Facility.
⁽⁵⁾
In order to estimate future interest payments during the remaining term of our Credit Facility, current amounts were considered outstanding until January 31, 2021, which is the maturity date of the Credit Facility.
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~~Table of Contents~~
We periodically make other commitments and become subject to other contractual obligations that we believe to be routine in nature and incidental to the operation of the business. Management believes that such routine commitments and contractual obligations do not have a material impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

As of ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017, our off-balance sheet arrangements consisted of operating leases and the undrawn portion of our Credit Facility. ~~The majority~~All of our stores and facilities, with one exception, are leased. We own buildings in which ~~four~~five of our stores are located; those buildings are located on land that is leased pursuant to a ground lease. As of ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017, 1718 store leases were classified as capital and financing lease obligations, and the remaining leases were classified as operating leases in our consolidated financial statements. We have no other off-balance sheet arrangements that have had, or are reasonably likely to have, a material effect on our consolidated financial statements or financial condition.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-Q.

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. Actual amounts may differ from these estimates. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions and factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. We evaluate our accounting policies and resulting estimates on an ongoing basis to make adjustments we consider appropriate under the facts and circumstances.

Critical accounting policies that affect our more significant ~~judgments~~judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements include accounting for income taxes, accounting for impairment of long-lived assets and accounting for leases, which are discussed in more detail under the caption “Critical Accounting Policies” under Item 7 –- “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” in our Form 10-K.

Item3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

To a limited extent, wewe are exposed to interest rate changes with respect to our Credit Facility. We do not use financial instruments for trading or other speculative purposes. There have been no material changes regarding our market risk position from the information provided under Item 7A –- “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” in our Form 10-K.

Item4. Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officers and principal financial and accounting officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule ~~13a-15(e) and Rule 15d-15(e)~~13a-15 under the Exchange Act, as of the end of the period covered by this Form 10-Q. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and that management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.
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Table of Contents

Based on that evaluation, our principal executive officers and principal financial and accounting officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were ~~effective~~effective at a reasonable assurance level as of ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Management implemented additional internal controls over financial reporting to ensure compliance with the Tax Reform Act. There were no other changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
24
~~Table of Contents~~
~~PARTII. Other Information~~

PART II. Other Information
Item1. Legal Proceedings

We periodically are ~~periodically~~ involved in various legal proceedings, including discrimination and other employment-related claims, customer personal injury claims, investigations and other proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. When the potential liability from a matter can be estimated and the loss is considered probable, we record the estimated loss. Due to uncertainties related to the resolution of lawsuits, investigations and claims, the ultimate outcome may differ from our estimates. WeAlthough we cannot predict with certainty the ultimate resolution of any lawsuits, investigations and claims asserted against ~~us. In management’s opinion, based upon the information available at this time,~~us, we do not believe ~~that the outcome of~~ any currently pending legal proceeding to which we are a party will have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, cash flows or results of operations.
~~Item1A. Risk Factors~~

~~The~~Item 1A. Risk Factors
There have been no material changes from the risk ~~factor set forth below updates those set forth~~factors disclosed in ~~the~~Part I, “Item 1A-Risk Factors,” of our Form 10-K.

~~If the United States were to withdraw from or materially modify NAFTA or certain other international trade agreements, or if tariffs on the foreign-sourced goods that we sell were to increase,~~~~or if a~~~~border~~~~adjustment~~ ~~tax~~ ~~were enacted,~~~~our business, financial condition~~Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and ~~results~~Use of ~~operations could be materially adversely affected.~~
Certain of the produce and other products that we sell at our stores are purchased, or contain ingredients sourced, from suppliers in Mexico, Canada and other foreign countries. President Donald Trump has expressed antipathy towards certain existing international trade agreements, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and made comments suggesting that he supports significantly increasing tariffs on goods imported into the United States. As of the date of this Form 10-Q, it remains unclear what actions, if any, President Trump will take with respect to NAFTA, other international trade agreements and tariffs on goods imported into the United States. If the United States were to withdraw from or materially modify NAFTA or other international trade agreements to which it is a party, or if tariffs were raised on the foreign-sourced goods that we sell, such goods may no longer be available at a commercially attractive price or at all, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, President Trump and some members of Congress have expressed support for or interest in the enactment of a “border adjustment” tax, pursuant to which companies would not be allowed to deduct the cost of imports from their revenue to determine their taxable income. As of the date of this Form 10-Q, it remains unclear whether a border adjustment tax will be formally proposed or enacted. The enactment of a border adjustment tax could have the net effect of increasing the cost of the foreign-sourced goods that we sell and make it more difficult for us to sell such goods at a commercially attractive price or at all, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
25
~~Table of Contents~~
~~Item~~2.
~~Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of~~ Proceeds

The following table presents information with respect to purchases of the ~~Company’s~~Company’s common stock during the three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 by the Company or any affiliated purchaser, as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) under the Exchange Act.
Period

Total Number of
Shares Purchased

Average Price Paid
Per Share⁽¹⁾

Total Number of Shares
Purchased as Part of
Publicly Announced Plans
or Programs⁽²⁾

Approximate Dollar Value of
Shares that May Yet Be
Purchased Under the Plans or
Programs (in thousands)

October 1, 2017 to October 31, 2017
87,950 $5.69 185,920 $8,410
November 1, 2017 to November 30, 2017
13,623 5.91 199,543 8,329
December 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017
— — 199,543 8,329
Total
101,573 $5.72 199,543 $8,329

Period

Total Number of
Shares Purchased

Average Price Paid
Per Share⁽¹⁾

Total Number of Shares
Purchased as Part of
Publicly Announced Plans
or Programs⁽²⁾

Approximate Dollar Value of
Shares that May Yet Be
Purchased Under the Plans or
Programs (in thousands)
April 1, 2017 toApril 30, 2017
— $ — 67,970 $ 9,171
May 1, 2017 toMay 31, 2017
— — 67,970 9,171
June 1, 2017 toJune 30, 2017
30,000 8.71 97,970 8,910
Total
30,000 $ 8.71 97,970 $ 8,910

⁽¹⁾ Average price paid per share includes commissions paid.

⁽²⁾ On May 5, 2016, our Board authorized a two-year share repurchase program pursuant to which the Company may repurchase up to $10.0 million in shares of the Company’s common stock.

~~Item~~6.
~~Exhibits~~
~~See Exhibit Index.~~
2623
Table of Contents

Item ~~SIGNATURES~~6.Exhibits

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized on August 3, 2017.
~~Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.~~
~~By:~~
~~/s/ KEMPER ISELY~~
~~Kemper Isely, Co-President~~
~~(Principal Executive Officer)~~
~~By:~~
~~/s/ SANDRA BUFFA~~
~~Sandra Buffa, Chief Financial Officer~~
~~(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)~~
27
~~Table of Contents~~
EXHIBIT~~EXHIBIT~~INDEX

Exhibit
Number

Description
10.46
Employment offer letter to Todd Dissinger dated December 5, 2017
10.47
Notice of Grant of Stock Unit Award to Todd Dissinger dated January 2, 2018
31.1
Certification of Kemper Isely, a Principal Executive Officer Required Under Section 302(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
31.2
Certification of Zephyr Isely, a Principal Executive ~~Officer~~Officer Required Under Section 302(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
31.3
Certification of ~~Sandra Buffa,~~Todd Dissinger, Principal Financial Officer Required Under Section 302(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
~~32.1†~~32.1†
Certification of Principal Executive Officers and Principal Financial Officer Required Under 18 U.S.C. §1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101
The following materials from Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017, formatted in XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language): (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets as of ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 (unaudited) and September 30, ~~2016,~~2017, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Income for the three ~~and nine~~ months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited), (iii) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the ~~nine~~three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and (iv) Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements.

† The certifications ~~attached~~attached as Exhibit 32.1 that accompany this Form 10-Q are not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date of this Form 10-Q, irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing.
24
Table of Contents
SIGNATURES

28Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized on February 1, 2018.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.
By:
/s/ KEMPER ISELY
Kemper Isely, Co-President
(Principal Executive Officer)
By:
/s/ TODD DISSINGER
Todd Dissinger, Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
25

Delaware		45-5034161
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

Large accelerated ~~filer☐~~filer ☐		Accelerated ~~filer☒~~filer ☒

~~Non-accelerated filer☐~~Non-accelerated filer ☐		Smaller reporting ~~company☐~~company ☐
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
		Emerging growth ~~company☒~~company ☐

		Page Number

	PART I. Financial Information

Item 1.	Financial Statements
	Consolidated Balance Sheets as of ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 (unaudited) and September 30, ~~2016~~2017	3
	Consolidated Statements of Income for the three ~~and nine~~ months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited)	4
	Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the ~~nine~~three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited)	5
	Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements	6

Item 2.	~~Management’s~~Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	1213
Item 3.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	2422
Item 4.	Controls and Procedures	2422

	PART II. Other Information
Item 1.	Legal Proceedings	2523
Item ~~1A.~~1A.	Risk Factors	2523
Item 2.	Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds	2623

Item 6.	Exhibits	2624

SIGNATURES		27

~~EXHIBIT INDEX~~		2825

	June 30, 2017			September 30, 2016			December 31, 2017			September 30, 2017
	(unaudited)						(unaudited)
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	5,123			4,017		$	8,089			6,521
Accounts receivable, net		3,285			3,747			4,477			4,860
Merchandise inventory		92,864			86,330			91,422			93,612
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		2,226			3,233			2,761			3,222
Total current assets		103,498			97,327			106,749			108,215
Property and equipment, net		186,993			178,297			185,189			184,417
Other assets:
Deposits and other assets		1,608			971			1,688			1,642
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $388 and $380, respectively		5,653			5,601
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $402 and $394, respectively								5,673			5,655
Deferred financing costs, net		41			50			40			62
Total other assets		7,302			6,622			7,401			7,359
Total assets	$	297,793			282,246		$	299,339			299,991

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	57,489			53,615		$	52,163			56,849
Accrued expenses		16,070			12,448			17,177			14,164
Capital and financing lease obligations, current portion		521			478
Capital and financing lease obligations, current portion								604			548
Total current liabilities		74,080			66,541			69,944			71,561
Long-term liabilities:
Capital and financing lease obligations, net of current portion		31,510			31,429			37,120			32,880
Revolving credit facility		27,477			27,428			24,592			28,392
Deferred income tax liabilities, net		11,478			12,178
Deferred income tax liabilities								7,973			12,419
Deferred compensation		1,110			757			1,355			1,231
Deferred rent		10,352			8,809			10,593			10,465
Leasehold incentives		9,085			8,379			9,122			9,160
Total long-term liabilities		91,012			88,980			90,755			94,547
Total liabilities		165,092			155,521			160,699			166,108
Commitments (Note 6 and 10)
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized, 22,510,279 shares issued at June 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016 and 22,434,931 and 22,452,609 shares outstanding at June 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016, respectively		23			23
Additional paid-in capital		55,873			55,437
Commitments (Note 6 and 11)
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized, 22,510,279 shares issued at December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017, respectively, and 22,347,709 and 22,448,056 outstanding at December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017, respectively								23			23
Additional paid-in capital								55,826			55,678
Retained earnings		77,610			71,955			84,026			78,846
Common stock in treasury at cost, 75,348 and 57,670 shares, at June 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016, respectively		(805	)		(690	)
Total stockholders’ equity		132,701			126,725
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	297,793			282,246
Common stock in treasury at cost, 162,570 and 62,223 shares at December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2017, respectively								(1,235	)		(664	)
Total stockholders’ equity								138,640			133,883
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity							$	299,339			299,991

	Three monthsended June 30,				Nine monthsended June 30,
	2017		2016		2017		2016
Number of common shares acquired		30,000		10,300		30,000		10,300
Average price per common share acquired (including commissions)	$	8.71		13.46		8.71		13.46
Total cost of common shares acquired	$	261		139		261		139

	Payments Due by Period
	Total		Less than 1 year		1 - 3 years		3 - 5 years		More than 5 years

Operating leases⁽¹⁾	$	507,720		39,267		79,632		76,179		312,642
Capital and financing lease obligations, including principal and interest payments⁽²⁾		48,055		4,068		8,383		8,465		27,139
Contractual obligations for construction related activities⁽³⁾		-		-		-		-		-
Debt obligations⁽⁴⁾		27,477		-		-		27,477		-
Interest payments⁽⁵⁾		1,741		426		853		462		-
	$	584,993		43,761		88,868		112,583		339,781

⁽¹⁾	~~Represents the minimum lease payments due under our operating leases, excluding annual common area maintenance, insurance and taxes related to our operating lease obligations.~~

⁽²⁾	Represents the payments due under our capital and financing lease obligations for 17 stores, of which 16 were open as of June 30, 2017. We do not record rent expense for these capital leases, but rather rental payments under the capital leases are recognized as a reduction of the capital and financing lease obligations and interest expense.

Period	Total Number of Shares Purchased		Average Price Paid Per Share⁽¹⁾		Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs⁽²⁾		Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (in thousands)
October 1, 2017 to October 31, 2017		87,950		$5.69		185,920		$8,410
November 1, 2017 to November 30, 2017		13,623		5.91		199,543		8,329
December 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017		—		—		199,543		8,329
Total		101,573		$5.72		199,543		$8,329

Period	Total Number of Shares Purchased		Average Price Paid Per Share⁽¹⁾		Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs⁽²⁾		Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (in thousands)
April 1, 2017 toApril 30, 2017		—	$	—		67,970	$	9,171
May 1, 2017 toMay 31, 2017		—		—		67,970		9,171
June 1, 2017 toJune 30, 2017		30,000		8.71		97,970		8,910
Total		30,000	$	8.71		97,970	$	8,910

	~~Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.~~


	~~By:~~	~~/s/ KEMPER ISELY~~
		~~Kemper Isely, Co-President~~
		~~(Principal Executive Officer)~~


	~~By:~~	~~/s/ SANDRA BUFFA~~
		~~Sandra Buffa, Chief Financial Officer~~
		~~(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)~~

Exhibit Number		Description
10.46		Employment offer letter to Todd Dissinger dated December 5, 2017
10.47		Notice of Grant of Stock Unit Award to Todd Dissinger dated January 2, 2018
31.1		Certification of Kemper Isely, a Principal Executive Officer Required Under Section 302(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
31.2		Certification of Zephyr Isely, a Principal Executive ~~Officer~~Officer Required Under Section 302(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
31.3		Certification of ~~Sandra Buffa,~~Todd Dissinger, Principal Financial Officer Required Under Section 302(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
~~32.1†~~32.1†		Certification of Principal Executive Officers and Principal Financial Officer Required Under 18 U.S.C. §1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101		The following materials from Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017, formatted in XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language): (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets as of ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 (unaudited) and September 30, ~~2016,~~2017, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Income for the three ~~and nine~~ months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited), (iii) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the ~~nine~~three months ended ~~June 30,~~December 31, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and (iv) Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements.

	Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.


	By:	/s/ KEMPER ISELY
		Kemper Isely, Co-President
		(Principal Executive Officer)


	By:	/s/ TODD DISSINGER
		Todd Dissinger, Chief Financial Officer
		(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)