“Sales volume continues to grow in our consumer distribution channel primarily from distribution gains for private brand products. Sales volume growth for ourSouthern Style Nuts andOrchard Valley Harvest brands also contributed to the sales volume growth in the consumer distribution channel. Sales volume growth for ourOrchard Valley Harvest brand has been especially impressive, with a compound annual growth rate of approximately 27% since we started reporting on sales volume performance for the brand in fiscal 2015. Sales volume in our consumer distribution channel accounted for approximately 70% of total sales volume in the current first quarter,” Mr. Sanfilippo noted. “In respect to pound volume growth at retail, our brands had mixed results according to IRi market data.Fisher recipe nut pound volume decreased by 25%, while pound volume for the recipe nut category increased by 4%. The decline inFisher recipe nut pound volume at retail was also attributable to lost distribution for some items due to the continued expansion of private brand recipe nut offerings at a major customer.Orchard Valley Harvest pound volume increased by 7% mainly from increased promotional activity and increased distribution, while pound volume for the produce category decreased by 3%.Fisher snack nut pound volume declined by 3%, while pound volume for the snack nut category increased by 1%. The decline in pound volume forFisher snack nuts was attributable to a decrease in new item promotional activity associated with a product line introduced in the comparative period.Southern Style Nuts pound volume increased by 17% due to new distribution gains with grocery retailers, while pound volume for the trail and snack mix category increased by 4%,” Mr. Sanfilippo concluded.
The Company will host an investor conference call and webcast on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern (9:00 a.m. Central) to discuss these results. To participate in the call via telephone, dial1-844-536-5471 from the U.S. or1-614-999-9317 internationally and enter conference ID number 1893376. This call is being webcast by Intrado Digital Media and can be accessed at the Company’s website atwww.jbssinc.com.
The Company will be presenting at the Southwest IDEAS Conference in Dallas on November 21, 2019 at 1:40 p.m. Central time, and the presentation webcast can be accessed at the conference website atwww.IDEASConferences.com.
Some of the statements in this release are forward-looking. These forward-looking statements may be generally identified by the use of forward-looking words and phrases such as “will”, “intends”, “may”, “believes”, “anticipates”, “should” and “expects” and are based on the Company’s current expectations or beliefs concerning future events and involve risks and uncertainties. Consequently, the Company’s actual results could differ materially. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or other factors that affect the subject of these statements, except where expressly required to do so by law. Among the factors that could cause results to differ materially from current expectations are: (i) the risks associated with our vertically integrated model with respect to pecans, peanuts and walnuts; (ii) sales activity for the Company’s products, such as a decline in sales to one or more key customers, a change in product mix to lower price products, a decline in sales of private brand products or changing consumer preferences; (iii) changes in the availability and costs of raw materials and the impact of fixed price commitments with customers; (iv) the ability to pass on price increases to customers if commodity costs rise and the potential for a negative impact on demand for, and sales of, our products from price increases; (v) the ability to measure and estimate bulk inventory, fluctuations in the value and quantity of the Company’s nut inventories due to fluctuations in the market prices of nuts and bulk inventory estimation adjustments, respectively; (vi) the Company’s ability to appropriately respond to, or lessen the negative impact of,
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