INGLES MARKETS INC - Quarter Report: 2022 December (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

 (Mark One)

x        QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934  

For the quarterly period ended December 24, 2022

or

¨         TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                  to                 

Commission File Number: 0-14706.

INGLES MARKETS, INCORPORATED

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(828) 669-2941

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes x    No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes x    No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No x

As of January 31, 2023, the registrant had 14,386,850 shares of Class A Common Stock, $0.05 par value per share, outstanding and 4,607,526 shares of Class B Common Stock, $0.05 par value per share, outstanding.

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INGLES MARKETS, INCORPORATED

INDEX

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Part I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

INGLES MARKETS, INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED)

See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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INGLES MARKETS, INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (UNAUDITED)

See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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INGLES MARKETS, INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (UNAUDITED)

THREE MONTHS ENDED DECEMBER 24, 2022 AND DECEMBER 25, 2021

See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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INGLES MARKETS, INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)  

See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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INGLES MARKETS, INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Three Months Ended December 24, 2022 and December 25, 2021

A. BASIS OF PREPARATION

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited interim financial statements contain all adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position as of December 24, 2022 and the results of operations, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows of Ingles Markets, Incorporated, a North Carolina corporation (“Ingles”, the “Company”, “we”, “us”, or “our”),
‎for the three months ended December 24, 2022 and December 25, 2021. The adjustments made are of a normal recurring nature. Certain information and footnote disclosures included in the annual financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission for Form 10-Q. It is suggested that these unaudited interim financial statements be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 24, 2022, filed by the Company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, on November 23, 2022.

The results of operations for the three months ended December 24, 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year.

B. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting.” The ASU provides optional guidance to ease the potential burden in accounting for reference rate reform on financial reporting in response to the risk of cessation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). This amendment provides for optional expedients and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles to contracts and hedging relationships that are affected by LIBOR and other reference rates. The ASU generally allows for hedge accounting to continue if the hedge was highly effective or met other standards prior to reference rate reform. Entities are permitted to apply the amendments to all contracts, cash flow and net investment hedge relationships that exist as of March 12, 2020. The relief provided in this ASU has been extended through December 31, 2024. The Company’s debt agreements and interest rate swaps that utilize LIBOR have not yet discontinued the use of LIBOR and, therefore, this ASU is not yet effective for us. To the extent our debt and interest rate swap arrangements change to another accepted rate within the timeline provided by this ASU, we will utilize the relief in this ASU to continue hedge accounting.

C. SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

From time to time, the Company purchases financial products that can be readily converted into cash, and the Company accounts for such financial products as short-term investments. The financial products include money market funds, bonds and mutual funds. The carrying values of the Company’s short-term investments approximate fair value because of their liquidity.

D. ALLOWANCE FOR DOUBTFUL ACCOUNTS

Receivables are presented net of an allowance for doubtful accounts of $382,683 at December 24, 2022 and $382,657 at September 24, 2022.

E. INCOME TAXES

The Company’s effective tax rate differs from the federal statutory rate primarily as a result of state income taxes and tax credits.

The Company has unrecognized tax benefits and could incur interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions. These amounts are insignificant and are not expected to significantly increase or decrease within the next twelve months.

F. ACCRUED EXPENSES AND CURRENT PORTION OF OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES

Accrued expenses and current portion of other long-term liabilities consist of the following:

Self-insurance liabilities are established for general liability claims, workers’ compensation, and employee group medical and dental benefits based on claims filed and estimates of claims incurred but not reported. The Company is currently insured for covered costs in excess of $1.0 million per occurrence for workers’ compensation and for general liability and $475,000 per covered person for medical care benefits for a policy year. The Company’s self-insurance reserves totaled $31.1 million at December 24, 2022. Of this amount, $12.9 million is accounted for as a current liability and $18.2 million as a long-term liability, which is inclusive of $4.1 million of expected self-insurance recoveries from excess cost insurance or other sources that are recorded as a receivable. At September 24, 2022, the Company’s self-insurance reserves totaled $31.0 million of which $13.2 million was accounted for as a current liability and $17.8 million as a long-term liability, which is inclusive of $4.0 million of expected self-insurance recoveries from excess cost insurance or other sources that are recorded as a receivable.

Employee insurance expense, including workers’ compensation and medical care benefits, net of employee contributions, totaled $10.8 million and $13.4 million for the three months ended December 24, 2022 and December 25, 2021, respectively.

The Company’s fuel operations use underground tanks for the storage of gasoline and diesel fuel. The Company reviewed FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 410 (“FASB ASC 410”) and determined we have a legal obligation to remove tanks at various points in the future and accordingly determined we have met the requirements of an asset retirement obligation. The Company followed the FASB ASC 410 model for determining the asset retirement cost and asset retirement obligation. The amounts recorded were immaterial for each fuel center as well as in the aggregate, at December 24, 2022 and September 24, 2022.

G. LONG-TERM DEBT

In June 2021, the Company issued at par $350.0 million aggregate principal amount of 4.00% senior notes due 2031 (the “Notes”). The Company may redeem all or a portion of the Notes at any time at the following redemption prices (expressed as percentages of the principal amount), if redeemed during the 12-month period beginning June 15 of the years indicated below:

The Company has a $150.0 million line of credit (the “Line”) that matures in June 2026. The Line provides the Company with various interest rate options based on the prime rate, the Federal Funds Rate, or LIBOR. The Line allows the Company to issue up to $10.0 million in letters of credit, of which none were issued at December 24, 2022. The Company is not required to maintain compensating balances in connection with the Line. At December 24, 2022, the Company had no borrowings outstanding under the Line.

In December 2010, the Company completed the funding of $99.7 million of bonds (the “Bonds”) for construction of new warehouse and distribution space adjacent to its existing space in Buncombe County, North Carolina (the “Project”). The final maturity date of the Bonds is January 1, 2036.

Under a Continuing Covenant and Collateral Agency Agreement (the “Covenant Agreement”) between certain financial institutions and the Company, the financial institutions would hold the Bonds until December 2029, subject to certain events. Mandatory redemption of the Bonds by the Company in the annual amount of $4.5 million began on January 1, 2014. The outstanding balance of the Bonds was $59.0 million as of December 24, 2022. The Company may redeem the Bonds without penalty or premium at any time prior to December 17, 2029. The Covenant Agreement was amended during the quarter ended December 25, 2021 to extend the holding period from September 2026 to December 2029 and reduce the interest rate on the Bonds.

Interest earned by bondholders on the Bonds is exempt from Federal and North Carolina income taxation. The interest rate on the Bonds is equal to one-month LIBOR (adjusted monthly) plus a credit spread, adjusted to reflect the income tax exemption.

The Company’s obligation to repay the Bonds is collateralized by the Project. The Covenant Agreement incorporates substantially all financial covenants included in the Line.

In September 2017, the Company refinanced approximately $60 million of secured borrowing obligations with a LIBOR-based amortizing floating rate loan secured by real estate, which matures in October 2027. The Company has an interest rate swap agreement for a current notional amount of $29.0 million at a fixed rate of 3.92%. Under this agreement, the Company pays monthly the fixed rate of 3.92% and receives the one-month LIBOR plus 1.65%. The interest rate swap effectively hedges floating rate debt in the same amount as the current notional amount of the interest swap. Both the floating rate debt and the interest rate swap have monthly principal amortization of $0.5 million and mature October 1, 2027.

In December 2019, the Company closed a $155 million LIBOR-based amortizing floating rate loan secured by real estate, which matures in January 2030. The Company has an interest rate swap agreement for a current notional amount of $130.5 million at a fixed rate of 2.95%. Under this agreement, the Company pays monthly the fixed rate of 2.95% and receives the one-month LIBOR plus 1.50%. The interest rate swap effectively hedges floating rate debt in the same amount as the current notional amount of the interest swap. Both the floating rate debt and the interest rate swap have monthly principal amortization of $0.65 million and mature in fiscal year 2030.

The Company recognizes differences between the variable rate interest payments and the fixed interest rate settlements with the swap counterparties as an adjustment to interest expense each period over the life of the swaps. The Company has designated the swaps as cash flow hedges and records the changes in the estimated fair value of the swaps to other comprehensive income each period. For the three months ended December 24, 2022, the Company recorded $1.2 million of other comprehensive loss, net of income taxes, in its Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Unrealized gains of $14.9 million are included as an asset at fair value in the line “Other Assets” on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 24, 2022. For the three-month period ended December 25, 2021, the Company recorded $1.4 million of other comprehensive income, net of income taxes, in its Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

The Company’s long-term debt agreements generally contain provisions that under certain circumstances would permit lending institutions to terminate or withdraw their respective extensions of credit to the Company. Included among the triggering factors permitting the termination or withdrawal of the Line to the Company are certain events of default, including both monetary and non-monetary defaults, the initiation of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, and the failure of the Company to meet certain financial covenants designated in its respective loan documents. The Company was in compliance with all financial covenants at December 24, 2022.

The Company’s long-term debt agreements generally have cross-default provisions which could result in the acceleration of payments due under all long-term debt agreements in the event of default under any one instrument.

At December 24, 2022, property and equipment with an undepreciated cost of approximately $260.0 million were pledged as collateral for long-term debt. Long-term debt and Line agreements contain various restrictive covenants requiring, among other things, minimum levels of net worth and maintenance of certain financial ratios. At December 24, 2022, the Company had excess net worth totaling $406.1 million calculated under covenants in the Bonds, various floating rate loans (the “Loans”), and the Line. This amount is available to pay dividends; however, certain loan agreements containing provisions outlining minimum tangible net worth requirements restrict the ability of the Company to pay cash dividends in excess of the current annual per share dividends paid on the Company’s Class A and Class B Common Stock. Further, the Company is prevented from paying cash dividends at any time that it is in default under the indenture governing the Notes. In addition, the terms of the indenture may restrict the ability of the Company to pay additional cash dividends based on certain financial parameters.

H. DIVIDENDS

The Company paid cash dividends of $0.165 for each share of Class A Common Stock and $0.15 for each share of Class B Common Stock on October 13, 2022 to stockholders of record on October 6, 2022.

For additional information regarding the dividend rights of the Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, please see Note 8, “Stockholders’ Equity” to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by the Company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, on November 23, 2022.

I. EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE

The Company has two classes of common stock: Class A Common Stock which is publicly traded, and Class B Common Stock, which has no public market. The Class B Common Stock has restrictions on transfer; however, each share is convertible into one share of Class A Common Stock at any time. Each share of Class A Common Stock has one vote per share and each share of Class B Common Stock has ten votes per share. Each share of Class A Common Stock is entitled to receive cash dividends equal to 110% of any cash dividend paid on Class B Common Stock.

The Company calculates earnings per share using the two-class method in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 260.

The two-class method of computing basic earnings per share for each period reflects the cash dividends declared per share for each class of stock, plus allocated undistributed earnings per share computed using the participation percentage which reflects the dividend rights of each class of stock. Diluted earnings per share is calculated assuming the conversion of all shares of Class B Common Stock to shares of Class A Common Stock on a share-for-share basis. The tables below reconcile the numerators and denominators of basic and diluted earnings per share for current and prior periods.

J. LEASES

Leases as Lessee

The Company conducts part of its retail operations from leased facilities. The initial terms of the leases are generally 20 years. The majority of the leases include one or more renewal options and require that the Company pay property taxes, utilities, repairs and certain other costs incidental to occupation of the premises. Several leases contain clauses that require rental payments based on a percentage of gross sales of the supermarket occupying the leased space. Step rent provisions, escalation clauses and lease incentives are taken into account in computing minimum lease payments.

Operating lease cost for all operating leases totaled $2.6 million for the three months ended December 24, 2022. This amount included short-term (less than one year) leases, common area expenses, and variable lease costs, all of which are insignificant. Cash paid for lease liabilities in operating activities approximates operating lease cost.

Maturities of operating lease liabilities as of December 24, 2022 were as follows:

The weighted average remaining lease term for the Company’s operating leases is 12.8 years. The weighted average discount rate used to determine lease liability balances as of December 24, 2022 was 3.51%, based on our incremental borrowing rate.

Leases as Lessor

At December 24, 2022, the Company owned and operated 89 shopping centers in conjunction with its supermarket operations. The Company leases to others a portion of its shopping center properties. The leases are non-cancelable operating lease agreements for terms ranging up to 20 years.

Rental income is included in the line item “Net sales” on the Consolidated Statements of Income. Depreciation on owned properties leased to others and other shopping center expenses are included in the line item “Cost of goods sold” on the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Future minimum operating lease receipts at December 24, 2022 are as follows:

K. SEGMENT INFORMATION

The Company operates one primary business segment, retail grocery sales. “Other” includes our remaining operations – fluid dairy and shopping center rentals. Information about the Company’s operations by lines of business (amounts in thousands) is as follows:

The “Grocery” category includes grocery, dairy, and frozen foods.

The “Non-foods” category includes alcoholic beverages, tobacco, pharmacy, and health/beauty/cosmetic products.

The “Perishables” category includes meat, produce, deli and bakery.

The fluid dairy operation sales to the grocery sales segment have been eliminated in consolidation and are excluded from the amounts in the table above.

L. FAIR VALUES OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

The carrying amounts for cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments.

The fair value of the Company’s debt and interest rate swaps are estimated using valuation techniques under the accounting guidance related to fair value measurements based on observable and unobservable inputs. Observable inputs reflect readily available data from independent sources, while unobservable inputs reflect the Company’s market assumptions. These inputs are classified into the following hierarchy:

The carrying amount and fair value of the Company’s debt, interest rate swaps, and non-qualified retirement plan assets at December 24, 2022 were as follows (in thousands):

The fair values for Level 2 measurements were determined primarily using market yields and taking into consideration the underlying terms of the instrument.

M. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Various legal proceedings and claims arising in the ordinary course of business are pending against the Company. In the opinion of management, the ultimate liability, if any, from all pending legal proceedings and claims is not expected to materially affect the Company’s financial position, the results of its operations, or its cash flows.

N. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The Company will from time to time make short-term non-interest bearing loans to the Company’s Investment/Profit Sharing Plan to allow the plan to meet distribution obligations during a time when the plan was prohibited from selling shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock. During the three months ended December 24, 2022, there were no such loans made, repaid or outstanding.

During the three months ended December 24, 2022, a limited liability corporation having Robert P. Ingle II, the Company’s Chairman of the Board, as one of its principals, purchased a shopping center, from an unrelated party at which the Company has a long-term lease in place. The Company’s lease was in place prior to such purchase, and the terms of the lease have not changed since it was originally negotiated.

Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Overview

Ingles, a leading supermarket chain in the Southeast, operates 198 supermarkets in North Carolina (75), Georgia (65), South Carolina (35), Tennessee (21), Virginia (1) and Alabama (1). Ingles supermarkets offer customers a wide variety of nationally advertised food products, including grocery, meat and dairy products, produce, frozen foods and other perishables and non-food products. Non-food products include fuel centers, pharmacies, health/beauty/cosmetic products and general merchandise, as well as quality private label items. In addition, the Company focuses on selling products to its customers through the development of certified organic products, bakery departments and prepared foods including delicatessen sections.  

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic which began in March 2020 and has continued through the three months ended December 24, 2022, has impacted supermarket operations. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company implemented several enhanced cleaning and social distancing protocols designed to keep our customers and our associates safe and has continued to monitor and update its protocols as the pandemic has evolved. Since March 2020, the Company’s stores have experienced increased customer traffic and occasional product shortages due to supply chain issues. Recently, an extremely tight labor market has impacted the Company’s ability to attract and retain qualified store personnel, but these impacts have not materially affected our operations. Finally, as the economy recovers, inflation has reached levels not seen in decades. Inflation impacts product costs, labor costs and other goods used by the Company.

At the present time, we do not know how long and to what extent the ongoing effects of the pandemic and inflation could impact our sales and financial performance.

Critical Accounting Policies

Critical accounting policies are those accounting policies that management believes are important to the presentation of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations, and require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments, often as a result of the need to estimate the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. Estimates are based on historical experience and other factors believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Management estimates, by their nature, involve judgments regarding future uncertainties, and actual results may therefore differ materially from these estimates.

Self-Insurance

The Company is self-insured for workers’ compensation and group medical and dental benefits. Risks and uncertainties are associated with self-insurance; however, the Company has limited its exposure by maintaining excess liability coverage of $1.0 million per occurrence for workers’ compensation and for general liability, and $475,000 per covered person for medical care benefits for a policy year. Self-insurance liabilities are established based on claims filed and estimates of claims incurred but not reported. The estimates are based on data provided by the respective claims administrators. These estimates can fluctuate if historical trends are not predictive of the future. The majority of the Company’s properties are self-insured for casualty losses and business interruption; however, liability coverage is maintained. At December 24, 2022 the Company’s self-insurance reserves totaled $31.1 million. This amount is inclusive of $4.1 million of expected self-insurance recoveries from excess cost insurance or other sources that are recorded as a receivable.

Asset Impairments

The Company accounts for the impairment of long-lived assets in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 360. For assets to be held and used, the Company tests for impairment using undiscounted cash flows and calculates the amount of impairment using discounted cash flows. For assets held for sale, impairment is recognized based on the excess of remaining book value over expected recovery value. The recovery value is the fair value as determined by independent quotes or expected sales prices developed by internal associates. Estimates of future cash flows and expected sales prices are judgments based upon the Company’s experience and knowledge of local operations and cash flows that are projected for several years into the future. These estimates can fluctuate significantly due to changes in real estate market conditions, the economic environment, capital spending decisions and inflation. The Company monitors the carrying value of long-lived assets for potential impairment each quarter based on whether any indicators of impairment have occurred. There were no asset impairments during the three-month period ended December 24, 2022.

Vendor Allowances

The Company receives funds for a variety of merchandising activities from the many vendors whose products the Company buys for resale in its stores. These incentives and allowances are primarily composed of volume or purchase based incentives, advertising allowances, slotting fees, and promotional discounts. The purpose of these incentives and allowances is generally to help defray the costs incurred by the Company for stocking, advertising, promoting and selling the applicable vendor’s products. These allowances generally relate to short term arrangements with vendors, often relating to a period of a month or less, and are negotiated on a purchase-by-purchase or transaction-by-transaction basis. Whenever practical, vendor discounts and allowances that relate to buying and merchandising activities are recorded as a component of item cost in inventory and recognized in merchandise costs when the item is sold. Due to the use of the retail method of store inventory and the nature of certain allowances, it is sometimes not practicable to apply allowances to the item cost of inventory. In those instances, the allowances are applied as a reduction of merchandise costs using a rational and systematic methodology, which results in the recognition of these incentives when the inventory related to the vendor consideration received is sold. Vendor allowances applied as a reduction of merchandise costs totaled $34.4 million and $31.9 million for the fiscal quarters ended December 24, 2022 and December 25, 2021, respectively. Vendor advertising allowances that represent a reimbursement of specific identifiable incremental costs of advertising the vendor’s specific products are recorded as a reduction to the related expense in the period in which the related expense is incurred. Vendor advertising allowances recorded as a

reduction of advertising expense totaled $2.0 million and $2.1 million for the fiscal quarters ended December 24, 2022 and December 25, 2021, respectively. Overall, vendor allowances decreased significantly at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as vendors reduced support for promotional activities. Vendor promotional support subsequently increased, but has not reached pre-pandemic levels.

If vendor advertising allowances were substantially reduced or eliminated, the Company would likely consider other methods of advertising, as well as the volume and frequency of the Company’s product advertising, which could increase or decrease the Company’s expenditures.

Similarly, the Company is not able to assess the impact of vendor advertising allowances on creating additional revenue, as such allowances do not directly generate revenue for the Company’s stores.

Results of Operations

Ingles operates on a 52 or 53-week fiscal year ending on the last Saturday in September. The Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the three-month periods ended December 24, 2022 and December 25, 2021 both include 13 weeks of operations. Comparable store sales are defined as sales by retail stores in operation for five full fiscal quarters. Sales from replacement stores, major remodels and the addition of fuel stations to existing stores are included in the comparable store sales calculation from the date thereof. A replacement store is a newly-opened store that replaces an existing nearby store that has closed. A major remodel entails substantial remodeling of an existing store and includes additional retail square footage. For the three-month period ended December 24, 2022, comparable store sales included 197 stores. For the three-month period ended December 25, 2021, comparable store sales included 196 stores.

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, selected financial information as a percentage of net sales. For information regarding the business’ segments, see Note K “Segment Information” to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. 

Three Months Ended December 24, 2022 Compared to the Three Months Ended December 25, 2021

Net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2023 totaled $69.4 million, compared with net income of $66.2 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2022. Retail grocery sales increased due to continued consumer trends seen since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the effects of inflation. Corresponding operating expenses did not increase as much as sales, resulting in higher pre-tax income.

Net Sales. Net sales increased by $101.8 million, or 7.3%, to $1.5 billion for the three months ended December 24, 2022 compared with $1.4 billion for the three months ended December 25, 2021. Excluding fuel sales, total grocery comparable store sales increased 7.3% over the comparative fiscal quarter. Ingles operated 198 stores at both December 24, 2022 and December 25, 2021. Inflation in the prices of food and fuel has also positively impacted the dollar amount of sales.

Changes in retail grocery sales for the quarter ended December 24, 2022 are summarized as follows (in thousands):

Gross Profit. Gross profit for the three-month period ended December 24, 2022 totaled $371.2 million, an increase of $20.7 million, or 5.9%, compared with gross profit of $350.5 million for the three-month period ended December 25, 2021. Gross profit as a percentage of sales was 24.9% and 25.2% for the three months ended December 24, 2022 and December 25, 2021, respectively. The decrease in gross profit as a percentage of sales resulted primarily from inflation and raw material shortages, which have increased the cost of products. Retail segment gross profit, excluding fuel decreased 84 basis points for the quarter ended December 24, 2022, as compared with the quarter ended December 25, 2021.

Operating and Administrative Expenses. Operating and administrative expenses increased $16.1 million, or 6.2%, to $276.2 million for the three months ended December 24, 2022, as compared to $260.1 million for the three months ended December 25, 2021. As a percentage of sales, operating and administrative expenses were 18.5% and 18.7% for the December 2022 and December 2021 quarters, respectively. Excluding fuel sales and associated fuel operating expenses (primarily payroll), operating expenses were 21.0% of sales for the first fiscal quarter of fiscal 2023 compared with 21.5% for the first fiscal quarter of 2022.

A breakdown of the major changes in operating and administrative expenses is as follows:

Salaries and wages increased in dollars due to increased competition in the labor market in the Company’s market area.

Insurance expense decreased due to lower claims under the Company’s self-insurance programs.

Repairs and maintenance increased due to wear and tear of equipment due to increased sales volume, increased costs of parts and refrigeration.

Store supplies, which include customer packaging containers, increased as a result of increased sales and market costs of certain supplies and supply chain issues for certain raw materials.

Bank charges increased due to increased sales and a greater portion of sales settled with credit/debit cards instead of cash or check.

Other Income. Other income totaled $1.4 million for the three months ended December 24, 2022 compared with $1.6 million for the three months ended December 25, 2021.

Interest Expense. Interest expense totaled $5.3 million for the three-month period ended December 24, 2022 compared with $5.4 million for the three-month period ended December 25, 2021. Total debt at December 24, 2022 was $564.5 million compared with $586.1 million at December 25, 2021.

Income Taxes. Income tax expense totaled $22.5 million for the three months ended December 24, 2022, reflecting an effective tax rate of 24.5% of pretax income. Income tax expense totaled $20.4 million for the three months ended December 25, 2021, reflecting an effective tax rate of 23.6% of pretax income.

Net Income. Net income totaled $69.4 million for the three-month period ended December 24, 2022 compared with $66.2 million for the three-month period ended December 25, 2021. Basic and diluted earnings per share for Class A Common Stock were $3.73 and $3.65, respectively, for the December 2022 quarter, compared to $3.57 and $3.48, respectively, for the December 2021 quarter. Basic and diluted earnings per share for Class B Common Stock were each $3.40 for the December 2022 quarter compared with $3.24 for the December 2021 quarter.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Capital Expenditures