Delivers Net Sales at High End of Expectations, Improves Net Loss, Exceeds Adjusted EBITDA Outlook and Achieves Record Gross Margin
Maintains 2025 Guidance
Zevia PBC ("Zevia" or the "Company") (NYSE:ZVIA), the Company bringing naturally delicious, zero sugar, clean-label beverages, today reported results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.
First Quarter 2025 Highlights
- Net sales of $38.0 million, a decline of $0.8 million year over year
- Gross profit margin was 50.1%, an improvement of 4.4 percentage points year over year and the highest quarterly gross profit margin as a public company
- Net loss was $6.4 million, including $0.7 million of non-cash equity-based compensation expense, an improvement of $0.8 million year over year
- Loss per share was $0.08 to Zevia's Class A Common stockholders, an improvement of $0.02 year over year
- Adjusted EBITDA loss was $3.3 million(1), an improvement of $2.2 million year over year
"We are pleased to have delivered net sales at the high end of our guidance while meaningfully exceeding our adjusted EBITDA expectations for the first quarter," said Amy Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Zevia. "Both our innovation and marketing strategies are yielding strong response. Our new variety pack is now the best-selling Zevia SKU at Walmart and we launched an exciting marketing campaign which drove record engagement. We are encouraged by the progress we are making as we continue to reinvest cost savings from our Productivity Initiative into building our brand."
"As we look ahead, we remain focused on advancing our strategic growth pillars including elevating our marketing to deliver a sharpened brand identity, building a robust product innovation pipeline featuring our enhanced taste profile and increasing accessibility through distribution expansion. We are excited by our long-term opportunity given our differentiated position within the fast-growing better-for-you soda category."
First Quarter 2025 Results
Net sales declined 2.0% to $38.0 million in the first quarter of 2025 compared to $38.8 million in the first quarter of 2024, due to increased promotional activity at retailers, partially offset by pricing and improved volumes of 0.1% largely driven by expanded distribution at Walmart, which itself was partially offset by the previously disclosed lost distribution in the club channel and one customer in the mass channel.
Gross profit margin was 50.1% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 45.7% in the first quarter of 2024, an improvement of 4.4 percentage points. The improvement was due primarily to lower product costs and improved inventory management, partially offset by higher promotional activity.
Selling and marketing expenses were $15.3 million, or 40.3% of net sales, in the first quarter of 2025 compared to $15.1 million, or 38.8%, of net sales in the first quarter of 2024. Marketing expenses were $6.2 million, or 16.2% of net sales, in the first quarter of 2025 compared to $2.7 million, or 7.0% of net sales, in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of $3.5 million, or 9.2% of net sales. Selling expenses were $9.1 million, or 24.1% of net sales in the first quarter of 2025 as compared to $12.3 million, or 31.8% of net sales in the first quarter of 2024, a decrease of 25.8%.
The increase in marketing expenses was driven by investments made in marketing to drive brand awareness, which was funded by the savings in direct selling expenses as a result of the Productivity Initiative. The decrease in selling expenses was primarily due to savings in freight and warehousing costs as a result of the Productivity Initiative.
General and administrative expenses were $7.0 million, or 18.4% of net sales, in the first quarter of 2025 compared to $8.1 million, or 20.9% of net sales, in the first quarter of 2024. The decrease of $1.1 million was driven primarily by cost savings measures related to the Company's Productivity Initiative to right-size the business and focus on growth driving initiatives.
Equity-based compensation, a non-cash expense, was $0.7 million in the first quarter of 2025, compared to $1.5 million in the first quarter of 2024. The decrease of $0.8 million was largely due to the accelerated method of expense recognition on certain equity awards issued in connection with the Company's IPO in 2021.
Restructuring expenses were $2.1 million in the first quarter of 2025 which primarily includes employee related severance costs.
Net loss for the first quarter of 2025 was $6.4 million, compared to net loss of $7.2 million in the first quarter of 2024.
Loss per share for the first quarter of 2025 was $0.08 to Zevia's Class A Common stockholders, compared to loss per share of $0.10 in the first quarter of 2024.
Adjusted EBITDA loss was $3.3 million in the first quarter of 2025, compared to an Adjusted EBITDA loss of $5.5 million in the first quarter of 2024. The better-than-expected performance versus our forecast of negative $5.6 million to negative $6.0 million, was largely driven by the higher than anticipated gross margin. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the supplementary schedules in this press release for a discussion of how we define and calculate this measure and a reconciliation thereof to the most directly comparable GAAP measure.
Balance Sheet and Cash Flows
As of March 31, 2025, the Company had $27.7 million in cash and cash equivalents and no outstanding debt, as well as an unused credit line of $20 million.
Maintains 2025 Outlook
"The strong execution of our Productivity Initiatives drove better-than-expected adjusted EBITDA including record gross margin performance," stated Girish Satya, Chief Financial Officer of Zevia. "Looking ahead, we believe that we are gaining traction across our strategic initiatives and will continue to operate our business prudently while remaining focused on strengthening our foundation for future growth."
For 2025, the Company continues to expect net sales to be in the range of $158 million to $163 million, and an adjusted EBITDA loss of between $8 million and $11 million. Adjusted EBITDA reflects planned reinvestment in marketing and promotional spend and now includes the impact of higher costs associated with tariffs, which the Company expects to mitigate with additional cost efficiencies.
For the second quarter of 2025, the Company expects net sales to be in the range of $40.5 million to $42.5 million, and an adjusted EBITDA loss of between $2.2 million and $2.9 million.
We have not provided the forward-looking GAAP equivalent to our Adjusted EBITDA outlook or a GAAP reconciliation as a result of the uncertainty regarding, and the potential variability of, reconciling items such as stock-based compensation, income tax, and charges associated with restructuring and cost saving initiatives, including but not limited to severance costs, warehouse/distribution facility exit costs, and asset impairments. Accordingly, a reconciliation of this non-GAAP guidance metric to its corresponding GAAP equivalent is not available without unreasonable effort. These items are inherently variable and uncertain and depend on various factors, some of which are outside of the Company's control or ability to predict. However, it is important to note that the reconciling items could have a significant effect on future GAAP results. We have provided historical reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP metrics in tables at the end of this release. For more information regarding the non-GAAP financial measures discussed in this earnings release, please see "Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Financial Results" below.
Webcast
The Company will host a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss this earnings release. Investors and other interested parties may listen to the webcast of the conference call by logging on via the Investor Relations section of Zevia's website at https://investors.zevia.com/ or directly here. A replay of the webcast will be available for approximately thirty (30) days following the call.
(1) Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the supplementary schedules in this press release for a discussion of how we define and calculate this measure and a reconciliation thereof to the most directly comparable GAAP measure.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain words such as "anticipate," "believe," "consider," "contemplate," "continue," "could,'" "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "guidance," "intend," "look ahead," "may," "on track," "outlook," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," pursue," "see," "seek," "should," "target," "will," "would," or the negative of these words or other similar words, terms or expressions with similar meanings. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance, results or outcomes and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance, results or outcomes will be achieved. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release relate to, among other things, statements regarding financial guidance or outlook, expected impacts of tariffs, expected benefits of and annualized cost savings from the Productivity Initiative, long-term growth and profitability plans and opportunities, future results of operations or financial condition, strategic direction, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, including marketing, distribution expansion, product innovation and cost efficiencies. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, our ability to mitigate the impact of tariffs, the ability to develop and maintain our brand, our ability to successfully execute on our rebranding strategy, cost reduction initiatives, and to compete effectively, our ability to maintain supply chain service levels and any disruption of our supply chain, product demand, changes in the retail landscape or in sales to any key customer, change in consumer preferences, pricing factors, our ability to manage changes in our workforce, future cyber incidents and other disruptions to our information systems, failure to comply with personal data protection and privacy laws, the impact of inflation on our sales growth and cost structure such as increased commodity, packaging, transportation and freight, warehouse, labor and other input costs and other economic conditions, our reliance on contract manufacturers and service providers, competitive and governmental factors outside of our control, such as pandemics or epidemics, adverse global macroeconomic conditions, including relatively high interest rates, instability in financial institutions and a recessionary environment, any potential shutdown of the U.S. government, and changes in trade policies or tariffs, geopolitical events or conflicts, including the military conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and trade tensions between the U.S. and China, our ability to maintain our listing on the New York Stock Exchange, failure to adequately protect our intellectual property rights or infringement on intellectual property rights of others, potential liabilities, and costs from litigation, claims, legal or regulatory proceedings, inquiries or investigations that may cause our business, strategy or actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. We do not intend and undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. Investors are referred to our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for additional information regarding the risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.
About Zevia
Zevia PBC, a Delaware public benefit corporation designated as a "Certified B Corporation," is focused on addressing the global health challenges resulting from excess sugar consumption by offering a broad portfolio of zero sugar, zero calorie, naturally sweetened beverages. All Zevia® beverages are made with a handful of simple, plant-based ingredients, contain no artificial sweeteners, and are Non-GMO Project verified, gluten-free, Kosher, and vegan. Zevia is distributed in more than 37,000 retail locations in the U.S. and Canada through a diverse network of major retailers in the grocery, drug, warehouse club, mass, natural, convenience and ecommerce channels.
(ZEVIA-F)
ZEVIA PBC CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (UNAUDITED) (in thousands, except share and per share amounts) |
||||||||
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
||||||
|
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
||||
Net sales |
|
$ |
38,023 |
|
|
$ |
38,799 |
|
Cost of goods sold |
|
|
18,988 |
|
|
|
21,080 |
|
Gross profit |
|
|
19,035 |
|
|
|
17,719 |
|
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Selling and marketing |
|
|
15,323 |
|
|
|
15,070 |
|
General and administrative |
|
|
6,978 |
|
|
|
8,115 |
|
Equity-based compensation |
|
|
731 |
|
|
|
1,489 |
|
Depreciation and amortization |
|
|
252 |
|
|
|
328 |
|
Restructuring |
|
|
2,138 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total operating expenses |
|
|
25,422 |
|
|
|
25,002 |
|
Loss from operations |
|
|
(6,387 |
) |
|
|
(7,283 |
) |
Other income, net |
|
|
57 |
|
|
|
97 |
|
Loss before income taxes |
|
|
(6,330 |
) |
|
|
(7,186 |
) |
Provision for income taxes |
|
|
41 |
|
|
|
13 |
|
Net loss and comprehensive loss |
|
|
(6,371 |
) |
|
|
(7,199 |
) |
Loss attributable to noncontrolling interest |
|
|
1,145 |
|
|
|
1,375 |
|
Net loss attributable to Zevia PBC |
|
$ |
(5,226 |
) |
|
$ |
(5,824 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Basic |
|
$ |
(0.08 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.10 |
) |
Diluted |
|
$ |
(0.08 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.10 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Weighted average common shares outstanding |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Basic |
|
|
62,950,895 |
|
|
|
55,890,168 |
|
Diluted |
|
|
76,496,102 |
|
|
|
55,890,168 |
|
ZEVIA PBC CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) (in thousands) |
||||||||
|
|
March 31, 2025 |
|
December 31, 2024 |
||||
ASSETS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Current assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
27,717 |
|
|
$ |
30,653 |
|
Accounts receivable, net |
|
|
8,797 |
|
|
|
10,795 |
|
Inventories |
|
|
17,105 |
|
|
|
18,618 |
|
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
|
|
2,715 |
|