Black Rifle Coffee Q4 Ex-Items Revenue Up 11%, Gross Margin Falls 610 bps
Net revenue rose 8% excluding non-recurring items, driven by 13% wholesale growth while direct-to-consumer returned to growth with a 7% fourth-quarter increase. Gross margin declined 6.5 points in fiscal 2025 due to coffee inflation and tariffs, though Q4 margin pressure was partly offset by productivity gains and mix improvements.
1. Revenue Growth and Channel Performance
Fiscal 2025 net revenue increased 2% year-over-year, or 8% excluding non-recurring items, driven by a 13% wholesale sales increase and contributions from Black Rifle Energy. In the fourth quarter, direct-to-consumer sales grew 7%—its first quarterly rise in over three years—while wholesale revenue rose 8% (16% excluding non-recurring items).
2. Distribution and Market Share Expansion
All-channel ACV reached 54.9% in 2025, up nearly eight points, with grocers adding an average of two incremental Black Rifle items per store. Packaged coffee revenue climbed 34% in the fourth quarter versus 13% category growth, lifting national bagged coffee share to 3.3% (up 60 basis points) and pods to 2.2% (up 40 basis points) as shelf productivity matched category velocity despite a 40% price premium.
3. Margin Pressure and Cost Management
Gross margin for fiscal 2025 fell 6.5 points as coffee inflation and tariffs accounted for roughly 350 basis points of pressure, while fourth-quarter margin dropped 610 basis points. One-time items—including startup costs from a new direct-to-consumer fulfillment provider and a coffee extract impairment—added 270 basis points of Q4 pressure, partially offset by 170 basis points from productivity and mix improvements.
4. Efficiency Measures and 2026 Focus
Operating expenses were down 7% excluding non-recurring items, with marketing spend 10% lower and wages flat despite resource shifts toward revenue-tied programs. Black Rifle Energy reached 22% ACV across nearly 20,000 retail doors in 2025, and 2026 priorities include regional scaling in key markets to maximize velocity and returns over broad distribution.