“In the quarter, we also welcomed Henry Maier to our board of directors. Henry is a 35-year veteran of FedEx Corporation, where he currently serves as president and CEO of the FedEx Ground operating unit.”
First Quarter 2021 Financial Results
Net sales in the first quarter of 2021 were $144.8 million compared to $87.8 million in the year-ago quarter. The growth in sales was primarily driven by increased revenue growth from our flagship website, CarParts.com.
Gross profit in the first quarter increased 65% to $49.2 million compared to $29.8 million in the first quarter last year, with gross margin up 10 bps to 34.0% compared to 33.9%. These improvements were driven by favorable channel and product mix, partially offset by higher inbound and outbound freight costs and seasonal surcharges from our carriers.
Total operating expenses in the first quarter were $51.7 million compared to $30.1 million in the first quarter last year. The increase was driven by personnel costs related to the new Texas DC, technology spend, marketing spend and non-cash charges.
Net loss in the first quarter increased to ($2.7) million compared to ($1.0) million in the first quarter last year. The net loss for the first quarter of 2021 was primarily driven by an increase in non-cash charges.
Adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter decreased to $3.6 million compared to $4.3 million in the year-ago quarter, with the decrease driven primarily by the continued ramp up of our Texas DC, adverse weather, and targeted investments in brand awareness campaigns that did not exist in the prior year quarter.
On April 3, 2021, the Company had no revolver debt, no outstanding trade letters of credit (“LCs”) and a cash balance of $45.9 million, compared to no revolver debt, no outstanding trade LCs and a $35.8 million cash balance at prior fiscal year-end January 2, 2021.
Conference Call
CarParts.com CEO Lev Peker and CFO/COO David Meniane will host a conference call today, followed by a question and answer period.
Date: Monday, May 10, 2021
Time: 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (2:00 p.m. Pacific time)
Webcast: www.carparts.com/investor/news-events
To listen to the live call, please click the link above to access the webcast at least 5-10 minutes prior to the start time to register your name and organization. The audio webcast will be archived on the Company’s website at www.carparts.com/investor.
If you are unable to join via the webcast, you may dial in to the call at 833-649-1138 (domestic) or 918-922-3112 (international) using access code 7356574. A telephone replay will also be available on the same day through May 17, 2021 at 855-859-2056 (domestic) or 404-537-3406 (international) using access code 7356574.
About CarParts.com, Inc.
With over 25 years of experience, and more than 50 million parts delivered, we’ve streamlined our website and sourcing network to better serve the way drivers get the parts they need. Utilizing the latest technologies and design principles, we’ve created an easy-to-use, mobile-friendly shopping experience that, alongside our