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February 3 , 2021 CENTRAL GARDEN & PET Central Garden & Pet Announces Strong Q1 2021 Results Q1 2021 net sales increased 22.7 % to $ 592.2 million Q1 2021 diluted EPS of $ 0.10 ; an increase of $ 0.18 vs. prior year Q1 2021 diluted Non - GAAP EPS of $ 0.29 ; up $ 0.37 vs. prior year Acquisitions strengthen Central's position in the Garden Segment WALNUT CREEK , Calif .-- ( BUSINESS WIRE ) -- Central Garden & Pet Company ( NASDAQ : CENT , CENTA ) ( " Central " ) , a market leader in the Garden and Pet industries , today announced financial results for its fiscal 2021 first quarter ended December 26 , 2020 . " We delivered another quarter of strong financial results reflecting solid execution , robust consumer demand in Pet and Garden and the unwavering dedication of our employees , " said Tim Cofer , CEO of Central Garden & Pet . " I'm pleased with the continued progress against our Central to Home strategy and remain excited about the road ahead . Recent examples of our strategy in action include three acquisitions , which will build scale in our Garden segment , expand into attractive adjacencies and advance our omnichannel and digital capabilities . " Fiscal 2021 First Quarter Financial Results Total net sales increased 22.7 % to $ 592.2 million compared to $ 482.8 million in the first quarter a year ago , driven by organic strength in both segments . First quarter gross margin increased 70 basis points to 27.9 % , driven by favorable mix of product sales and volume - related efficiencies partially offset by continued supply - chain constraints and inflationary pressures . Operating income increased to $ 27.0 million from $ 2.1 million in the first quarter a year ago . Operating margin increased 420 basis points to 4.6 % compared to 0.4 % in the prior year quarter , driven by improved gross margin as well as operating efficiencies . EBITDA increased 162.8 % to $ 40.0 million from $ 15.2 million in the first quarter a year ago .