Loyalty and value drive a strong quarter for Weis Markets

A growing rewards program and investments in value-focused pricing propelled Weis Markets to a strong third quarter, the Sunbury, Pa.-based grocer reported this week.

For the quarter ended Sept. 28, the retailer posted comparable-store sales growth, excluding fuel, of 3% or 4.1% on a two-year, stacked basis. Weis’ net sales totaled $1.19 billion during the period, up 2.2% from the same quarter a year ago.

Net income rose 11.3% from 2023, to $25.84 million.

“We continue to make progress in a post-inflationary environment affecting our year-over-year comparisons,” Weis Markets Chairman, President, and CEO Jonathan Weis said in a statement. “Despite the challenge, we posted a solid comparable-store sales increase in the period and generated net income results that remain in line with our expectations.”

Year to date, Weis’ net sales totaled $3.55 billion, up 1.8% from the same period a year ago. Year-to-date comparable-store sales, excluding fuel, increased 2.2% or 5.3% on a two-year, stacked basis. Year-to-date net income was $75.26 million, a decrease of 9.7% from the year-ago period.

“We attribute our results to our popular Weis Rewards loyalty marketing program, continuing our investments in our Low, Low Price program of more than 10,000 high-demand products which added 448 household essential items across eight non-food categories during the period, and disciplined store-level efficiencies that help us effectively balance customer experience and cost management,” Weis said. “The hard work and commitment of our associates have been crucial to our progress.”

In September, the grocer announced plans to acquire two-unit Sunnyway Foods, a family-owned retailer that had been in business in Pennsylvania for nearly 70 years.

Weis Markets, which was founded in 1912, operates 198 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, West Virginia, and Virginia.