Earnings Call Transcript - VIPS Q4 2025

Jessie Fan, Head of Investor Relations

Thank you, operator. Hello, everyone, and thank you for joining Vipshop's Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Earnings Conference Call. With us today are Eric Shen, our Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO, and Mark Wang, our CFO. Before management begins their prepared remarks, I would like to remind you that the discussion today will contain forward-looking statements made under the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those outlined in our safe harbor statement in our earnings release and public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which also applies to this call to the extent any forward-looking statements may be made. Please note that certain financial measures used on this call, such as non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders, and non-GAAP net income per ADS, are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Please refer to our earnings release for details relating to the reconciliations of our non-GAAP measures to GAAP measures. With that, I would now like to turn the call over to Mr. Eric Shen.

Eric Shen, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO

Good morning, and good evening, everyone. Welcome, and thank you for joining our fourth quarter and full year 2025 earnings conference call. This year has been defined by strategic realignment, operating resilience, and a firm commitment to high-quality growth in a dynamic market. While we entered 2025 facing a multi-consumer environment, I'm pleased to report that the agility of our off-price retail model has allowed us to stabilize our top-line performance and continue to deliver robust profitability for the full year. Our fourth quarter results came in slightly below our expectations. This was primarily due to a deceleration in December sales as customer activity slowed. We attributed it to weak winter apparel demand alongside delayed holiday shopping due to a later spring festival. While we saw short-term pressure this quarter, our long-term roadmap remains unchanged. We continue to make solid progress that reinforces our flywheels from merchandising, customer engagement, to operations. In 2025, we implemented a strategic reorganization of our merchandising and customer engagement team to enhance agility and long-term competitiveness by enabling faster decision-making and breaking down internal silos. We have unlocked a strong foundation for long-term growth. Throughout the year, our merchandising strategy centered on three pillars: enhancing customer relevance, building differentiation, and deepening category expertise. Advancing these capabilities has fundamentally allowed us to consistently and effectively align high-value brand supply with evolving customer demand. We are building a stronger, more connected portfolio of branded products. Last year, our merchandising team further deepened our supply network. This enabled us to acquire more quality deep discount inventory, driving sales growth steadily across our most valuable brands. Leveraging data-driven insights, we are proactively shaping a resilient assortment that wins in growth categories while keeping our supply chains responsive to shifts in customer needs. We are seeing an encouraging early signal of cross-sell from apparel into related categories like mother and baby, childcare, and lifestyle. We will remain focused on refining these synergies to better serve our customers' diverse needs. Our Made for VIP line has become a key driver of our differentiation, with sales in these exclusive categories growing by over 40% to account for 5% of online apparel sales in 2025. Having successfully built these foundations of scale, we are now in the position to evolve our approach for the next stage of growth. We are streamlining our exclusive products to build a clear identity and drive mind share when customers see an exclusive tech, which should instantly recognize a promise of high value and reliability. This is how we transfer the line into competitive differentiations, reliable courage, on-trend selection, and exceptional value. Our optimistic buying proactive is another key differentiator, allowing us to select a portfolio of high-demand items from top global and domestic partners. This delivers a compelling value proposition based on quality, price, and style. Combined with dynamic fresh sales and treasure hunt experience, it drives wild customer apparel excitement and encourages repeat visits. We are moving faster to lock in more exclusive low-priced inventory to attract high-value shoppers and deepen the discovery drive of our platform. To enhance customer experience, one team now manages the entire journey from initial brand acquisitions to value-driven growth and lifelong engagement. We have enhanced our capabilities to target and engage user efficiency, which serves as the core foundation of our full life cycle customer strategy. Early progress is promising, and we are focused on the sustainable runway ahead to build a more seamless cross-category experience that maximizes lifetime value. The Super VIP program remains the cornerstone of our growth. Active SVIP members sustained double-digit growth for the fourth quarter. For the full year 2025, active SVIPs grew by 11% to 9.8 million, contributing 52% of our online spending. Through exclusive upgrades, such as providing sales and family benefits, SVIPs consistently demonstrate significantly higher retention and repeat purchase than those of regular customers. Their sustained loyalty and spending power provide a reliable revenue stream and increase our appeal to brand partners, seeking high-quality customer access. Turning to operations. We have enhanced our capabilities to better think merchandise with customer intent, delivering measurable results. We implemented multi-objective optimization in our search engine, directly improving conversion rates. We also prioritize diversity and freshness in our recommendation engine, which has enriched discovery and driven high browsing frequency and return visits. Looking ahead, we are exploring generative search and recommendations to enable a more dynamic, interactive, and integrated discovery experience. Lastly, we have made great strides in deploying AI across our business to drive tangible value with advanced AI applications in searching and recommendations, customer service, and marketing. We have enhanced the customer experience and empowered our brand partners, laying a strong foundation for deeper company-wide integration. Notably, our AI-powered customer service effectively automates routine interactions, improving overall speed and relevance of customer support. The system now manages the majority of product inquiries and generates personalized recommendations with automated resolutions reaching approaching 90%. AI-generated content is now widely used in marketing, driving efficiency and effectiveness, taking our own campaign, for example, by leveraging AIGC to automate creatives and placements. We have reduced production costs while optimizing customer acquisition efficiency. Furthermore, we have used AIGC to summarize our customer reviews and product portfolio, helping brand partners boost their sales effectiveness. With its full-scale launch, our AI virtual try-on feature has proven to be an effective driver of customer engagement. Initial data confirms its impact on loyalty, showing that engaged customers have a high rate of repeat visits. Our next phase is fundamentally integrating AI, moving beyond standalone workflows to embed it within our core operations, making it a primary driver of growth and business-wide efficiency. As we look back on 2025, we have become a more agile, customer-centric, and technology-driven organization. We have enhanced our leadership in the off-price sector as an indispensable gateway for brand navigation, adapting to China's shifting consumption landscape, as value shopping becomes a structural trend. We are uniquely positioned to capture high-value customers and expand our share of wallet through merchandising and supply chain reliability. While the macro environment remains dynamic, our focused strategy and strong execution give us great confidence in delivering sustainable profitability growth in 2026 and beyond. At this point, let me hand over the call to our CFO, Mark Wang, to go over our financial results.

Mark Wang, CFO

Thanks, Eric, and hello, everyone. We concluded 2025 with resilient performance underpinned by solid profitability in a dynamic market. This financial strength stems from our disciplined approach to investing, ensuring that every dollar we deploy advances our core business and builds lasting momentum. Over the past year, we focused on enabling the business with agility, ensuring our investments in merchandising, consumer engagement, operational upgrades, as well as AI enhancements, directly strengthen our business core. This discipline has translated into quality earnings and is building the foundation for a durable competitive advantage. As Eric emphasized, we have seen tangible progress which has repositioned us for sustained momentum. Our focus remains on stewarding our capital to support its business priorities, ensuring we have both the flexibility and the financial foundation to execute our long-term growth strategy. Turning to capital returns. I'm pleased to confirm that we delivered on our 2025 commitment, returning a total of USD 944 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchase. For 2026, we are maintaining this momentum. Consistent with our prior year's policy, we intend to distribute no less than 75% of our full-year 2025 non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders. This will be executed through an increased annual dividend of approximately USD 300 million as well as the continuation of our share repurchase program. These actions reflect our confidence in the company's cash-generating capability and our steadfast commitment to shareholder value creation. Now moving to our detailed quarterly financial highlights. Before I get started, I would like to clarify that all financial numbers presented below are in renminbi, and all the percentage changes are year-over-year changes, unless otherwise noted. Total net revenues for the fourth quarter of 2025 were RMB 32.5 billion compared with RMB 33.2 billion in the prior year period. Gross profit was RMB 7.4 billion compared with RMB 7.6 billion in the prior year period. Gross margin was 22.9% compared with 23.0% in the prior year period. Total operating expenses decreased by 3.7% year-over-year to RMB 4.9 billion from RMB 5.1 billion in the prior year period. As a percentage of total net revenues, total operating expenses decreased to 15.0% from 15.2% in the prior year period. Fulfillment expenses decreased by 1.0% year-over-year to RMB 2.4 billion from RMB 2.5 billion in the prior year period. As a percentage of total net revenues, fulfillment expenses were 7.5% compared with 7.4% in the prior year period. Marketing expenses decreased by 6.1% year-over-year to RMB 873.7 million from RMB 903.3 million in the prior year period. As a percentage of total net revenues, marketing expenses decreased to 2.7% from 2.8% in the prior year period. Technology and content expenses decreased by 9.3% year-over-year to RMB 425.5 million from RMB 469.2 million in the prior year period. As a percentage of total net revenues, technology and content expenses decreased to 1.3% from 1.4% in the prior year period. General and administrative expenses decreased by 5.2% year-over-year to RMB 1.1 billion from RMB 1.2 billion in the prior year period. As a percentage of total net revenues, general and administrative expenses decreased to 3.5% from 3.6% in the prior year period. Income from operations increased by 1.7% year-over-year to RMB 2.9 billion from RMB 2.85 billion in the prior year period. Operating margin increased to 8.9% from 8.6% in the prior year period. Non-GAAP income from operations was RMB 3.2 billion compared with RMB 3.4 billion in the prior year period. Non-GAAP operating margin was 10.0% compared with 10.2% in the prior year period. Net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders increased by 5.8% year-over-year to RMB 2.6 billion from RMB 2.4 billion in the prior year period. Net margin attributable to Vipshop shareholders increased to 8.0% from 7.4% in the prior year period. Net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders per diluted ADS increased to RMB 5.12 from RMB 4.69 in the prior year period. Non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders was RMB 2.9 billion compared with RMB 3.0 billion in the prior year period. Non-GAAP net margin attributable to Vipshop's shareholders was 8.8% compared with 9.0% in the prior year period. Non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders per diluted ADS was RMB 5.66 compared with RMB 5.70 in the prior year period. As of December 31, 2025, we had cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash of RMB 24.1 billion and short-term investments of RMB 5.8 billion. Now I will briefly walk through the highlights of our full-year results. Total net revenues were RMB 105.9 billion compared with RMB 108.4 billion in the prior year. Gross profit was RMB 24.5 billion compared with RMB 25.5 billion in the prior year. Gross margin was 23.1% compared with 23.5% in the prior year. Income from operations was RMB 8.1 billion compared with RMB 9.2 billion in the prior year. Operating margin was 7.7% compared with 8.5% in the prior year. Non-GAAP income from operations was RMB 9.9 billion compared with RMB 10.7 billion in the prior year. Non-GAAP operating margin was 9.3% compared with 9.9% in the prior year. Net income attributable to Vipshop shareholders was RMB 7.2 billion compared with RMB 7.7 billion in the prior year. Net margin attributable to Vipshop's shareholders was 6.8% compared with 7.1% in the prior year. Net income attributable to Vipshop shareholders per diluted ADS was RMB 14.15 compared with RMB 14.35 in the prior year. Non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders was RMB 8.7 billion compared with RMB 9.0 billion in the prior year. Non-GAAP net margin attributable to Vipshop's shareholders was 8.3%, which remained stable compared with that in the prior year period. Non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop shareholders per diluted ADS increased to RMB 17.08 compared with RMB 16.75 in the prior year. Looking forward to the first quarter of 2026, we expect our total net revenues to be between RMB 26.3 billion and RMB 27.6 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of approximately 0% to 5%. Please note that this forecast reflects our current and preliminary view of the market and operational conditions, which are subject to change.

Ronald Keung, Analyst

Non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop shareholders per diluted ADS increased to RMB 17.08 compared with RMB 16.75 in the prior year. Looking forward to the first quarter of 2026, we expect our total net revenues to be between RMB 26.3 billion and RMB 27.6 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of approximately 0% to 5%. Please note that this forecast reflects our current and preliminary view of the market and operational conditions, which are subject to change.

Jessie Fan, Head of Investor Relations

Ronald, could you please interpret your question in English? I'll first translate the question, and then I'll let Eric address it. The first question is about our business performance for the current quarter, specifically if seasonality, particularly from the late spring festival, has affected it and whether we've noticed any recovery. It looks like we're seeing a slight acceleration in revenue growth based on our guidance. The second question pertains to our margin expectations for 2026, given that margins in 2025 seem to be under some pressure for both gross and net profit margins. Are there any new investments planned for 2026? How do we plan to manage gross margin costs and expenses, and can we stabilize our margin profile?

Eric Shen, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO

So regarding the Q1 guidance, let's first examine Q4. Our online sales faced challenges in Q4, particularly in December, due to unseasonably warm weather in many parts of China which discouraged winter clothing purchases. With Chinese New Year occurring later this year, there was no immediate urgency for consumers to shop for the holiday. As a result, apparel sales lagged compared to other categories. However, as we enter the first quarter, we have noticed a significant increase in consumer activity, mainly due to New Year shopping. When we analyze the combined sales for January and February, we are observing a positive recovery in our core business. This keeps us on target with our guidance of 0% to 5% top-line growth, and we are confident in delivering this growth for Q1 and throughout the year. Regarding margins, our business philosophy has remained consistent. We continue to focus on high-quality and sustainable profitable growth, particularly in today's dynamic macro environment. Therefore, we expect our margins to remain stable and will strive to exceed expectations in terms of margins for 2026 and beyond.

Alicia Yap, Analyst

I have two questions. First, regarding user growth, I recall management previously mentioned optimism about sustaining user growth momentum. Could you share your expectations for user growth in 2026? Additionally, how do you view the demand for apparel compared to non-apparel growth? My second question relates to AI. Do you believe that the overstocked business model we have for Vipshop will be more resilient against Agentic commerce? Will VIP invest more resources into expanding the offline business, such as the Shan Shan Outlet?

Eric Shen, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO

Customer growth is definitely our top priority as it is the foundation for sales growth and ultimately profitability. In Q4, we expected to maintain our customer growth momentum, but due to an anticipated slowdown in consumer activity, customer growth is currently under some pressure. We believe customer growth will rebound in 2026 and ideally, it should outpace sales growth to counteract the impact of a slightly rising return rate. We are committed to bringing customer growth back on track in 2026. Regarding category preferences, consumers remain cautious, selective, and value-conscious, but they are still shopping across various categories, including discretionary ones. They require strong incentives to do so, which is why we emphasize delivering the best value across all shopping categories, including both apparel and non-apparel. We are making adjustments in both areas, particularly in standard categories, to foster repeat business from our most valuable customers, including SVIPs and high-value customers, to enhance their cross-category purchases for family shopping. On the topic of AI, it is transforming numerous industries, including e-commerce. As an off-price retailer, Vipshop is adapting to this trend to stay competitive. Our business model fundamentally relies on effective merchandising, securing quality deep discount inventory, and delivering the best value to customers. As long as we excel in merchandising and ensure supply chain reliability, we will remain competitive. The online business is highly competitive, which is why we seek opportunities offline, particularly with our outlet business, which has proven to be a solid model for stable revenue and profitability. We are expanding our Shan Shan outlets, which are performing excellently in terms of sales and profit contribution, and we anticipate a similar pace of expansion into more cities, regions, and geographies. We expect continued strong growth in sales, revenue, and profit from the Shan Shan business, and we believe that a solid offline presence will help us mitigate any challenges posed by AI.

Jessie Fan, Head of Investor Relations

Thank you for taking time to join us today. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact our IR team. We look forward to speaking with you next quarter.

Operator, Operator

This concludes today's conference call. Thank you for participating. You may now disconnect.