Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. reported unaudited consolidated earnings results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 30, 2017. For the quarter, net sales were $268,770,000 against $304,865,000 a year ago. Loss from operations was $1,833,000 against $22,682,000 a year ago. Loss before provision for income taxes was $4,322,000 against $25,228,000 a year ago. Net loss was $17,578,000 against $11,614,000 a year ago. Net loss per basic and diluted common share was $0.75 against $0.50 a year ago. Capital expenditures were $11,706,000 against $8,840,000 a year ago. Adjusted net loss was $3.9 million or $0.17 per diluted share against income of $8.6 million or $0.37 per diluted share a year ago. Adjusted operating loss was $4.7 million against income of $16.5 million a year ago.

For the year, net sales were $1,178,694,000 against $1,289,243,000 a year ago. Loss from operations was $262,813,000 against income of $45,577,000 a year ago. Loss before provision for income taxes was $272,514,000 against income of $36,054,000 a year ago. Net loss was $252,151,000 against income of $24,964,000 a year ago. Net loss per basic and diluted common share was $10.90 against income of $1.04 per diluted share a year ago. Capital expenditures were $55,020,000 against $40,068,000 a year ago. Adjusted net income was $9.1 million or $0.39 per diluted share against $50.3 million or $2.09 per diluted share a year ago. Adjusted operating income was $26.4 million against $92.0 million a year ago.

For the quarter, the company reported goodwill, intangible assets and store fixed-assets impairment of $786,000 against $39,612,000 a year ago.

The company is providing guidance around the key levers that drive the business. Specifically: full year comparable sales of low to mid negative single digits, improving sequentially; full year gross margin rate flat with 2017, benefitting from higher product margins and improvement at nutri-force, partially offset by fixed cost deleverage; combined federal, state and local tax rate of 28%. This excludes taxes associated with permanent book to tax differences estimated at $0.5 million to $1 million; full year capital expenditures of approximately $30 million, includes the opening of 2 new stores.