Citi Trends (NASDAQ:CTRN) reported a sharply stronger first quarter for fiscal 2026, with management pointing to broad-based comparable sales gains, improved margins and expense leverage as evidence that its turnaround strategy is gaining traction.
Chief Executive Officer Ken Seipel opened the company’s earnings call by calling the quarter “excellent,” saying momentum from 2025 carried into the new fiscal year
He said nearly every metric accelerated in the first quarter and that early second-quarter comparable sales were running in the high single digits. “Our strategy is working and our execution is becoming increasingly consistent,” Seipel said. Comparable Sales Rise 13.9% Citi Trends generated total sales of $230.9 million in the first quarter, up 14.4% from the same period last year, Chief Financial Officer Heather Plutino said. Comparable store sales increased 13.9%, ahead of the company’s expectations, and were up 23.8% on a two-year stacked basis.
Seipel said the company has now posted 21 consecutive months of sales growth, with gains across all product divisions and store climate zones. While tax refund timing helped the quarter, he said underlying sales trends before and after the refund period remained strong on a two-year basis. In response to a question from D.A.