PRICESMART INC (PSMT)
SIC breadcrumb: Retail Trade > General Merchandise Stores > SIC 5331 Retail-Variety Stores
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1041803. Latest filing source: 0001041803-25-000060.
Informational only. Descriptive public-record data — not a rating, forecast, or investment advice. See Disclaimer.
At a glance
- Revenue
- 5,270,094,000 USD verified
- Net income
- 147,887,000 USD verified
- Assets
- 2,269,157,000 USD verified
- Free cash flow
- 103,173,000 USD computed
- Net margin
- 2.81% computed
- Operating margin
- 4.41% computed
- Revenue YoY
- +7.25% computed
- ROE
- 11.86% computed
Peer & cluster context
Peer percentile fingerprint
Percentile = share of the N covered peers reporting that ratio whose value is lower (ties counted half); computed among grepcent-covered companies in SIC industry 5331 Retail-Variety Stores, not the whole market. A higher percentile means a higher value of the ratio, not a better company. Ratios with fewer than 8 reporting peers are omitted. Latest reported values per company; fiscal periods may differ. Descriptive arithmetic - not a score, rating, or ranking.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 5,270,094,000 | USD | 2025 | 2025-10-30 |
| Net income | 147,887,000 | USD | 2025 | 2025-10-30 |
| Assets | 2,269,157,000 | USD | 2025 | 2025-10-30 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2025-10-30. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001041803.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 2,910,062,000 | 3,053,754,000 | 3,091,648,000 | 3,191,762,000 | 3,619,871,000 | 4,066,093,000 | 4,411,842,000 | 4,913,898,000 | 5,270,094,000 | |
| Net income | 88,723,000 | 90,724,000 | 74,328,000 | 73,191,000 | 78,109,000 | 97,963,000 | 104,534,000 | 109,205,000 | 138,875,000 | 147,887,000 |
| Operating income | 136,723,000 | 136,229,000 | 126,052,000 | 115,167,000 | 122,468,000 | 158,020,000 | 167,066,000 | 184,516,000 | 220,944,000 | 232,510,000 |
| Diluted EPS | 2.92 | 2.98 | 2.44 | 2.40 | 2.55 | 3.18 | 3.38 | 3.50 | 4.57 | 4.82 |
| Operating cash flow | 142,141,000 | 123,021,000 | 119,454,000 | 170,332,000 | 259,268,000 | 127,166,000 | 121,829,000 | 257,331,000 | 207,589,000 | 261,307,000 |
| Capital expenditures | 77,700,000 | 135,294,000 | 98,109,000 | 140,061,000 | 100,320,000 | 113,174,000 | 120,660,000 | 142,511,000 | 168,545,000 | 158,134,000 |
| Dividends paid | 21,274,000 | 21,285,000 | 21,240,000 | 21,654,000 | 21,527,000 | 21,988,000 | 26,559,000 | 28,540,000 | 66,162,000 | 38,733,000 |
| Share buybacks | 6,259,000 | 12,863,000 | 73,486,000 | 6,710,000 | ||||||
| Assets | 1,096,735,000 | 1,177,514,000 | 1,216,392,000 | 1,296,411,000 | 1,656,825,000 | 1,705,790,000 | 1,808,400,000 | 2,005,608,000 | 2,022,694,000 | 2,269,157,000 |
| Liabilities | 458,664,000 | 468,747,000 | 457,754,000 | 498,132,000 | 824,093,000 | 789,576,000 | 817,327,000 | 898,565,000 | 899,729,000 | 1,021,785,000 |
| Stockholders' equity | 638,071,000 | 708,767,000 | 758,002,000 | 797,351,000 | 831,719,000 | 915,345,000 | 991,073,000 | 1,107,043,000 | 1,122,965,000 | 1,247,372,000 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 199,522,000 | 162,434,000 | 93,460,000 | 102,653,000 | 299,481,000 | 202,060,000 | 237,710,000 | 239,984,000 | 125,364,000 | 241,024,000 |
| Free cash flow | 64,441,000 | -12,273,000 | 21,345,000 | 30,271,000 | 158,948,000 | 13,992,000 | 1,169,000 | 114,820,000 | 39,044,000 | 103,173,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 3.12% | 2.43% | 2.37% | 2.45% | 2.71% | 2.57% | 2.48% | 2.83% | 2.81% | |
| Operating margin | 4.68% | 4.13% | 3.73% | 3.84% | 4.37% | 4.11% | 4.18% | 4.50% | 4.41% | |
| Return on equity | 13.90% | 12.80% | 9.81% | 9.18% | 9.39% | 10.70% | 10.55% | 9.86% | 12.37% | 11.86% |
| Return on assets | 8.09% | 7.70% | 6.11% | 5.65% | 4.71% | 5.74% | 5.78% | 5.44% | 6.87% | 6.52% |
| Liabilities / equity | 0.72 | 0.66 | 0.60 | 0.62 | 0.99 | 0.86 | 0.82 | 0.81 | 0.80 | 0.82 |
| Current ratio | 1.39 | 1.40 | 1.40 | 1.21 | 1.23 | 1.31 | 1.34 | 1.38 | 1.22 | 1.34 |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
Operating margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Bridges
Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Operating cash flow: accession 0001041803-25-000060; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities | Capital expenditures: accession 0001041803-25-000060; concept PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment | Free cash flow: accession 0001041803-25-000060; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-08-31; accession 0001041803-25-000060; filed 2025-10-30. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-08-31; accession 0001041803-25-000060; filed 2025-10-30. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-08-31; accession 0001041803-25-000060; filed 2025-10-30. Concept: OperatingIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-08-31; accession 0001041803-25-000060; filed 2025-10-30. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-08-31; accession 0001041803-25-000060; filed 2025-10-30. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-08-31; accession 0001041803-25-000060; filed 2025-10-30. Concept: PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-08-31; accession 0001041803-25-000060; filed 2025-10-30. Concept: PaymentsOfDividends. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsOfDividends.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-08-31; accession 0001041803-25-000060; filed 2025-10-30. Concept: PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-08-31; accession 0001041803-25-000060; filed 2025-10-30. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-08-31; accession 0001041803-25-000060; filed 2025-10-30. Concept: Liabilities. Source concepts: us-gaap:Liabilities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-08-31; accession 0001041803-25-000060; filed 2025-10-30. Concept: StockholdersEquity. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquity.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-08-31; accession 0001041803-25-000060; filed 2025-10-30. Concept: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue. Source concepts: us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-08-31; accession 0001041803-25-000060; filed 2025-10-30. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
As-reported value updates
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-07-08. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001041803.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-Q1 | 2022-11-30 | 1.05 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-02-28 | 1.02 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-05-31 | 0.94 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-08-31 | 1,118,193,000 | 15,381,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2023-11-30 | 1,166,475,000 | 38,047,000 | 1.24 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-02-29 | 1,291,950,000 | 39,271,000 | 1.31 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-05-31 | 1,229,428,000 | 32,489,000 | 1.08 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-08-31 | 1,226,045,000 | 29,068,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2024-11-30 | 1,257,944,000 | 37,428,000 | 1.21 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-02-28 | 1,363,886,000 | 43,760,000 | 1.45 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-05-31 | 1,317,289,000 | 35,158,000 | 1.14 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-08-31 | 1,330,975,000 | 31,541,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2025-11-30 | 1,382,729,000 | 40,166,000 | 1.29 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2026-Q2 | 2026-02-28 | 1,495,528,000 | 49,091,000 | 1.62 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2026-Q3 | 2026-05-31 | 1,481,793,000 | 39,691,000 | 1.28 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-05-31; accession 0001041803-26-000028; filed 2026-07-08. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-05-31; accession 0001041803-26-000028; filed 2026-07-08. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-05-31; accession 0001041803-26-000028; filed 2026-07-08. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Business
Read PSMT's verbatim Item 1 Business section from its latest 10-K: Business.
Risk Factors
Read PSMT's verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from its latest 10-K: Risk Factors.
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0001041803-26-000028.
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Forward-Looking Statements
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements concerning PriceSmart, Inc.'s ("PriceSmart", the "Company", "we" or "our") anticipated future revenues and earnings, adequacy of future cash flows, digital and technological initiatives, proposed warehouse club and distribution center openings, the Company's performance relative to competitors and related matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements containing the words “expect,” “believe,” “will,” “may,” “should,” “project,” “estimate,” “anticipated,” “scheduled,” “intend,” and like expressions, and the negative thereof. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including but not limited to the risks detailed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2025 filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on October 30, 2025 under the heading “Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors" and "Part I Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law. In addition, these risks are not the only risks that the Company faces. The Company could also be affected by additional factors that apply to all companies operating globally and in the U.S., as well as other risks that are not presently known to the Company or that the Company currently considers to be immaterial.
Overview
PriceSmart was founded in 1996 by Sol and Robert Price, the creators of Price Club, the original warehouse club operator. The objective of PriceSmart is to operate its warehouse club business in Central America, the Caribbean and South America at operating standards as good as, or superior to, warehouse club operations in the United States.
As of May 31, 2026, we had 57 warehouse clubs in operation in Central America, the Caribbean and Colombia. In addition, we are continuing to advance our planned expansion into Chile, which we believe is a promising new market for our Company. We believe PriceSmart has become one of the most respected and trusted brands in the countries where we operate, and with over two million membership accounts, and over four million cardholders, we believe PriceSmart is an essential part of the shopping experience for consumers and small businesses in PriceSmart’s markets.
PriceSmart sources approximately half of its merchandise from suppliers within Latin America and the Caribbean, with the balance of merchandise sourced from the United States and globally. Product selection includes basic consumable merchandise for consumers and businesses, “Member’s Selection®” private label merchandise and consumable and non-consumable products that are often not otherwise available in our markets.
PriceSmart continually focuses on innovation. Beyond in-club shopping, our Members can shop via our mobile app or online at PriceSmart.com, both of which offer home delivery and curbside pickup via our Click & Go® service. PriceSmart is making significant investments in technology both to improve the online shopping experience for its Members and to enhance operating efficiencies in the supply chain and the back office.
We seek to be an outstanding place to work and provide safe and pleasant working environments for our over 13,000 employees, along with excellent pay and benefits, including healthcare coverage and retirement benefits.
PriceSmart is committed to improving the quality of life for people living in the communities in which it does business. Through a partnership with Price Philanthropies Foundation we provide school supplies to approximately 140,000 children and vision screening and eye exams for thousands of children through the Aprender y Crecer program. In addition, the PriceSmart Foundation makes grants to support youth workforce development and small business growth in PriceSmart markets.
We believe that operating our business at the highest standards, providing outstanding jobs for our employees and being good stewards of the communities in which we operate results in PriceSmart being a good investment for our stockholders.
36
Table of Contents
The number of warehouse clubs for each country or territory were as follows:
| Country/Territory | Number of Warehouse Clubs in Operation as of May 31, 2025 | Number of Warehouse Clubs in Operation as of May 31, 2026 | AnticipatedWarehouse Club Openings in Fiscal Year 2026 | Anticipated Warehouse Club Openings in Fiscal Year 2027 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 10 | 10 | — | — | ||||||
| Costa Rica | 9 | 9 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Panama | 7 | 7 | — | — | ||||||
| Guatemala | 6 | 7 | — | 1 | ||||||
| Dominican Republic | 5 | 6 | — | — | ||||||
| Trinidad | 4 | 4 | — | — | ||||||
| El Salvador | 4 | 4 | — | — | ||||||
| Honduras | 3 | 3 | — | — | ||||||
| Nicaragua | 2 | 2 | — | — | ||||||
| Jamaica | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | ||||||
| Aruba | 1 | 1 | — | — | ||||||
| Barbados | 1 | 1 | — | — | ||||||
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 1 | 1 | — | — | ||||||
| Chile | — | — | — | 1 | ||||||
| Totals | 55 | 57 | 1 | 5 |
Our Member-facing warehouse clubs are all located in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our two regional distribution centers located in the United States (Miami) and Costa Rica operate in conjunction with our local distribution centers in all of our multi-club markets. Our corporate headquarters, U.S. buying operations and support service center offices are located in the United States. Lastly, we have additional support service centers in some of our markets. Our operating segments currently are the United States, Central America, the Caribbean and Colombia.
In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, we purchased land for our third warehouse club in Jamaica, located in Montego Bay, approximately 100 miles west from the nearest club in the capital of Kingston. The club will be built on a five-acre property and is anticipated to open in the fall of 2026.
In the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, we purchased land and plan to open our tenth warehouse club in Costa Rica, located in Ciudad Quesada, approximately 47 miles northwest from the nearest club in the capital of San Jose. The club will be built on a six-acre property and is anticipated to open in August 2026.
In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, we executed a land lease for our fourth warehouse club in Jamaica, located on South Camp Road (Kingston), approximately six miles southeast from the nearest club in the capital of Kingston. The club is under construction on a three-acre property and is anticipated to open in the winter of 2026-27.
In the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, we executed a land lease for our eighth warehouse club in Guatemala, located in Villa Nueva, approximately thirteen miles south from the nearest club in the capital of Guatemala City, subject to necessary permits being obtained. The club will be built on a five-acre property and is anticipated to open in the winter of 2027.
In the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, we executed a lease for our first warehouse club in Chile in Comuna Las Condes, Santiago. The club will be located within the Mallplaza Los Dominicos shopping center and is anticipated to open in the spring of 2027.
In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026, we purchased land and plan to open our eleventh warehouse club in Costa Rica, located in Santo Tomas de Santo Domingo (Heredia), approximately four miles east from the nearest club in Heredia. The club will be built on a six-acre property and is anticipated to open in the spring of 2027.
Once these six new clubs are open, the Company will operate 63 warehouse clubs.
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Table of Contents
We continue to evaluate opportunities to expand our warehouse club operations in our existing markets and to assess potential entry into new markets. In Chile, in addition to our planned warehouse club in the Mallplaza Los Dominicos shopping center, we have entered into executory agreements to acquire land for two additional potential warehouse clubs, subject to normal contingencies.
Factors Affecting the Business
Overall economic trends, foreign currency exchange volatility, and other factors impacting the business.
Our sales and profits vary from market to market depending on general economic factors, including Gross Domestic Product ("GDP") growth; consumer preferences; foreign currency exchange rates; political and social conditions; local demographic characteristics (such as population growth); the number of years we have operated in a particular market; and the level of retail and wholesale competition in that market. The economies of many of our markets are dependent on foreign trade, tourism, remittances from foreign workers located in the United States to individuals or family members in their home countries, and foreign direct investments. Uncertain economic conditions and a slowdown in global economic growth and investment may impact the economies in our markets, causing significant declines in GDP and employment and devaluations of local currencies against the U.S. dollar.
Inflationary pressures could significantly impact product costs, and commodity price increases have and could again impact our financial results and could lead to reduced sales, fewer units sold, and/or margin pressure. For example, we are monitoring the resolution of the conflict with Iran, including the impact on global commodity prices and potential shipping and logistics disruptions. We may experience increases in transportation costs or delays in the shipment or delivery of our products.
Currency fluctuation can be one of the largest variables affecting our overall sales and profit performance because many of our markets are susceptible to foreign currency exchange rate volatility. As of May 31, 2026, some markets, primarily Colombia and Costa Rica, benefited from currency appreciation, which was partially offset by currency devaluations we experienced in Honduras, when compared to May 31, 2025. During the first nine months of fiscal years 2026 and 2025, approximately 81.0% and 80.0%, respectively, of our net merchandise sales were in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Of those sales, 48.8% and 49.3% consisted of sales of products we purchased in U.S. dollars.
A devaluation of local currency reduces the value of sales and membership income that is generated in that country when translated to U.S. dollars for our consolidated results. In addition, when a local currency experiences devaluation, we may elect to increase the local currency price of imported merchandise to maintain our target margins, which could impact demand for the merchandise affected by the price increase. Alternatively, we may elect not to raise prices to fully cover the impact of the devaluation, adversely affecting our margins. For example, during fiscal year 2023, the currency in Colombia devalued approximately 15%, but we selectively held pricing steady or took pricing actions to mitigate declines in demand, which negatively impacted our consolidated total gross margin percentage. We may also modify the mix of imported versus local merchandise and/or the source of imported merchandise to mitigate the impact of currency fluctuations. Information about the effect of local currency devaluations is discussed further in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A (excerpt)
Latest 10-K Item 7 source: 0001041803-25-000060. The complete FY 2025 MD&A is published at /company/PSMT/mda/fy2025/.
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview
PriceSmart, headquartered in San Diego, California, owns and operates U.S.-style membership shopping warehouse clubs in Latin America and the Caribbean, selling high quality merchandise and services at low prices to our Members. We operate 56 warehouse clubs in 12 countries and one U.S. territory (ten in Colombia; nine in Costa Rica; seven each in Panama and Guatemala; five in Dominican Republic; four each in Trinidad and El Salvador; three in Honduras; two each in Nicaragua and Jamaica; and one each in Aruba, Barbados and the United States Virgin Islands). Additionally, the Company plans to open one new warehouse club in La Romana, Dominican Republic in the spring of 2026, and one warehouse club in Montego Bay and one on South Camp Road, Jamaica in the summer and fall of 2026, respectively. Once these three new clubs are open, we will operate 59 warehouse clubs in total. Additionally, we are continuing to advance our planned expansion into Chile, which we have identified as a potential market for multiple PriceSmart warehouse clubs. Our corporate headquarters, U.S. buying operations and regional distribution centers are located primarily in the United States. Our operating segments are the United States, Central America, the Caribbean and Colombia. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Mission
PriceSmart's mission is to provide all Members an outstanding shopping experience with high quality, exciting merchandise and services at the lowest possible prices.
Purpose
PriceSmart's purpose is to improve the lives and businesses of our Members, our employees and our communities through the responsible delivery of the best quality goods and services at the lowest possible prices. We aim to serve as a model company, which operates profitably and provides a good return to our investors, by providing Members in emerging and developing markets with exciting, high-quality merchandise sourced from around the world and valuable services at compelling prices in safe U.S.-style clubs and through PriceSmart.com. We prioritize the well-being and safety of our Members and employees. We provide good jobs, fair wages and benefits and opportunities for advancement. We strive to treat our suppliers right and empower them when we can, including both our regional suppliers and those from around the world. We try to conduct ourselves in a socially responsible manner as we endeavor to improve the quality of the lives of our Members and their businesses, while respecting the environment and the laws of all the countries in which we operate. We also believe in facilitating philanthropic contributions to the communities in which we do business. We charge Members an annual membership fee that enables us to operate our business with lower margins than traditional retail stores. As we continue to invest in technological capabilities, we are increasing our tools to drive sales and operational efficiencies. We believe we are well positioned to blend the excitement and appeal of our brick-and-mortar business with the convenience and additional benefits of online shopping and services, while simultaneously enhancing Member experience and engagement.
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Table of Contents
Factors Affecting the Business
Overall economic trends, foreign currency exchange volatility, and other factors impacting the business
Our sales and profits vary from market to market depending on general economic factors, including GDP growth; consumer preferences; foreign currency exchange rates; political and social conditions; local demographic characteristics (such as population growth); the number of years we have operated in a particular market; and the level of retail and wholesale competition in that market. The economies of many of our markets are dependent on foreign trade, tourism, remittances from foreign workers located in the United States to individuals or family members in their home countries, and foreign direct investments. Uncertain economic conditions and slowdown in global economic growth and investment may impact the economies in our markets, causing significant declines in GDP and employment and devaluations of local currencies against the U.S. dollar.
Inflationary pressures could significantly impact product costs, and commodity price increases have and could again impact our financial results and could lead to reduced sales, fewer units sold, and/or margin pressure. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted, directly or indirectly, in market and supply-chain disruptions, which increased the complexity of managing our inventory flow and business and resulted in substantial inventory markdowns on certain non-food product categories in the third quarter of fiscal year 2022. In addition, shipping and freight rates increased dramatically during that time. Similar challenges could reoccur in the future. While supply chains and transportation rates have normalized, we continue to work to hold down and/or mitigate price increases passed on to our Members while maintaining the right inventory mix to grow sales. One key factor has been our expanded network of distribution centers, which has facilitated alternative shipping routes, increased merchandise throughput, and provided flexibility to mitigate our supply chain challenges and risks more effectively.
Currency fluctuation can be one of the largest variables affecting our overall sales and profit performance because many of our markets are susceptible to foreign currency exchange rate volatility. For fiscal year 2025, some markets, especially Costa Rica, benefited from currency appreciation, which helped offset currency devaluations we experienced in some of the other countries. During fiscal year 2025, approximately 80.1% of our net merchandise sales were in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Of those sales, 49.0% consisted of sales of products we purchased in U.S. dollars.
A devaluation of local currency reduces the value of sales and membership income that is generated in that country when translated to U.S. dollars for our consolidated results. In addition, when local currency experiences devaluation, we may elect to increase the local currency price of imported merchandise to maintain our target margins, which could impact demand for the merchandise affected by the price increase. Alternatively, we may elect not to raise prices to fully cover the impact of the devaluation, adversely affecting our margins. For example, during fiscal year 2023, the currency in Colombia devalued approximately 15%, but we selectively held pricing steady or took pricing actions to mitigate declines in demand, which negatively impacted our consolidated Total gross margin percentage. We may also modify the mix of imported versus local merchandise and/or the source of imported merchandise to mitigate the impact of currency fluctuations. Information about the effect of local currency devaluations is discussed further in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Net Merchandise Sales and Comparable Sales.”
Our wallet-share capture of total retail and wholesale sales can vary from market to market due to competition and the availability of other shopping options for our Members. Demographic characteristics within each of our markets can affect both the overall level of sales and future sales growth opportunities. Certain island markets, such as Aruba, Barbados and the U.S. Virgin Islands, offer limited upside for sales growth given their overall market size.
We continue to face the risk of political instability which may have significant effects on our business. For example, protestors set up roadblocks in Panama during October and November 2023 as a reaction to an agreement between the Panamanian government and a mining company, disrupting traffic to our clubs throughout most of the market. In the third quarter of fiscal year 2025, Panama once again experienced widespread protests and social unrest against the government. Roadblocks in Guatemala in October 2023 related to election protests also limited access to certain of our warehouse clubs. Civil unrest in Colombia in response to tax reform and austerity measures paralyzed significant portions of the country’s infrastructure during the third quarter of fiscal year 2021.
Our operations are subject to volatile weather conditions and natural disasters. In November 2020, Hurricanes Eta and Iota brought severe rainfall, winds, and flooding to a significant portion of Central America, especially Honduras, which caused significant damage to parts of that country’s infrastructure. Although our warehouse clubs were not significantly affected and we were able to manage our supply chain to keep our warehouse clubs stocked with merchandise, similar natural disasters could adversely impact our overall sales, costs and profit performance in the future.
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At times we face difficulties in the shipment of, and the risks inherent in the importation of, merchandise to our warehouse clubs. One of those difficulties is possible governmental restrictions on the importation of merchandise. In late May 2023, disputes with Nicaraguan customs and tax authorities resulted in delays in the issuance of our importation clearance, and general delays in the customs inspection process. While this situation had occurred frequently prior to May 2023, we generally were able to plan around these import blockages and resume imports within a matter of days. However, this last delay in obtaining importation clearance resulted in our being unable to import merchandise into Nicaragua for several weeks in June 2023. While our tax clearances and imports have returned to a normal cadence, we could see delays of imports into Nicaragua again as well as in other jurisdictions in which we operate.
Our operations depend on shipping, trucking, ports and other elements of the supply chain that often rely on unionized labor. A work stoppage or other limitation on operations from union or other labor-related matters could occur for any number of reasons, including as a result of disputes under existing collective bargaining agreements with labor unions or in connection with negotiation of new collective bargaining agreements. For example, while it did not impact our export activities, we experienced a brief disruption to the flow of imported merchandise into our Miami distribution center operations because of the U.S. dockworkers strike in October 2024.
Current uncertainties about tariffs may have an adverse effect on our Company. The U.S. government has implemented significant tariff measures, including a baseline tariff of 10% on products from all countries and higher rates targeting specific countries. For additional information, see "Item 1A — Risk Factors — We are vulnerable to changes in the political and economic conditions such as tariffs and/or international trade wars and disruptions to remittances."
In July 2025, the United States enacted significant tax legislation commonly referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ("OBBBA"). The OBBBA makes permanent many provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and introduces additional changes affecting individuals and businesses. Key business-related provisions include the continuation of the 21% federal corporate income tax rate, enhancements to bonus depreciation and expensing rules, and modifications to certain international provisions, including Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income and Foreign-Derived Intangible Income deductions. The OBBBA also includes other targeted measures, including a 1% ex
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MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. Each year's full verbatim text is on its own sub-page.
Macro cross-references for PSMT
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm