Net Income of $25.6 million

Adjusted EBITDA Increases 10.5% to $75.7 million

Same Store Merchandise Sales Increase 2.4% and 7.4% on a Two-Year Stack Basis*

Same Store Merchandise Sales Excluding Cigarettes Increase of 4.3% and 10.2% on a Two-Year Stack Basis*

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ARKO Corp. (Nasdaq: ARKO) (�ARKO� or the �Company�), a growing leader in the U.S. convenience store industry, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021.

Second Quarter 2021 Key Highlights*

• Operating income of $45.8 million for the quarter compared to $47.7 million in second quarter of 2020
• Net income for the quarter of $25.6 million compared to $32.5 million for the second quarter of 2020
• Adjusted EBITDA of $75.7 million, or a 10.5% increase compared to the prior year period, supported by strong results in the overall profitability of our Empire acquisition
• Successfully completed 19^th acquisition of the Company�s history, closing on the 60 retail convenience stores from the ExpressStop transaction during the quarter, and added 19 net new dealers during the quarter
• Same store merchandise sales increase of 2.4% compared to the prior year period, and 7.4% on a two-year stack basis, while merchandise margin increased 140 basis points to 28.7% from 27.3%
• Same store merchandise sales excluding cigarettes increase of 4.3% compared to the prior year period, and 10.2% on a two-year stack basis
• Retail fuel margin cents per gallon decreased by 19% to 34.3 cents per gallon; same store fuel gallons sold increased by 11.9%
• Extended wholesale merchandise agreement with Core-Mark International and expanded coverage to include 1,055 locations, up from 865 previously
• DoorDash delivery partnership continues its expansion, now operating in 684, or nearly half, of all Company-operated stores

�As a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team as well as our multi-faceted growth strategy, during the second quarter, we once again delivered strong financial performance,� said Arie Kotler, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of ARKO. �Not only was our in-store merchandising strategy on full display, but our M&A engine also proved to be highly productive, led by the continued successful integration of Empire and the acquisition of the ExpressStop stores. Integration efforts for the differentiated wholesale asset are running ahead of expectations as we�ve managed to extract notable cost synergies and generate incremental growth. With a strong balance sheet and clear strategic vision, we are excited to continue the strong execution of our priorities as we aim to drive growth and increase shareholder value.�

* Same store merchandise sales increase on a two-year stack basis is the same store merchandise sales increase in the current year added to the same store merchandise sales increase in the prior year period. This measure may be helpful to improve the understanding of trends in periods that are affected by variations in prior year growth rates.

Second Quarter 2021 Segment Highlights

Retail

Same store merchandise sales increased 2.4% for the quarter and 4.3% excluding cigarettes as compared to the second quarter of 2020. Total merchandise contribution increased $15.3 million for the quarter compared to the prior year due to same store sales growth coupled with a 140-basis point increase in merchandise margin and a $10.1 million contribution from the ExpressStop and Empire acquisitions.

For the second quarter of 2021, retail fuel profitability (excluding intercompany charges by our wholesale fuel distribution subsidiary, GPM Petroleum LP (�GPMP�)) increased approximately $2.2 million compared to the prior year period primarily due to the $15.6 million contribution from the ExpressStop and Empire acquisitions, which was offset by a decrease in same store fuel profit of $11.9 million (excluding intercompany charges by GPMP). Although same store gallons sold increased by 11.9% compared to the second quarter of 2020, retail fuel margin cents per gallon decreased 19% to 34.3 cents per gallon primarily due to record-setting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the prior year.

Wholesale

For the second quarter of 2021, wholesale fuel profitability (excluding intercompany charges by GPMP) increased approximately $20.9 million compared to the prior year period, with the Empire acquisition accounting for approximately $20.6 million of the growth. Fuel contribution from non-consignment agent locations grew by $11.7 million compared to the prior year due to a 207 million gallon increase in fuel volume. Fuel margin cents per gallon for these locations increased 0.2 cents compared to the second quarter of 2020.

Fuel contribution from consignment agent locations grew $9.2 million compared to the prior year due to a quarter over quarter increase in volume of 37 million gallons, although fuel margin cents per gallon declined 4.7 cents due to the record-setting fuel margin in the prior year. Although volume sold through consignment locations aggregated 16% of the combined total, fuel margin dollars realized accounted for approximately 47% of the fuel margin dollar contribution.

Liquidity and Capital Expenditures

As of June 30, 2021, the Company�s total liquidity was approximately $509 million, consisting of cash and cash equivalents of $229.4 million, plus $31.8 million of restricted investments, and approximately $248 million of unused availability under lines of credit. Outstanding debt was $685.7 million, resulting in net debt of $424.5 million. Capital expenditures were $32.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021, compared to $20.5 million for the prior year period.

Store Network Update

The following tables present certain information regarding changes in the store network for the periods presented:

Conference Call and Webcast Details

The Company will host a conference call to discuss these results today at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Investors interested in participating in the live call can dial 877-605-1792 or 201-689-8728. A telephone replay will be available approximately two hours after the call concludes through August 23, 2021, by dialing 877-660-6853 or 201-612-7415 and entering confirmation code 13720407.

There will also be a simultaneous, live webcast available on the Investor Relations section of the Company�s website at https://www.arkocorp.com/. The webcast will be archived for 30 days.

About ARKO Corp.

ARKO Corp. (Nasdaq: ARKO) owns 100% of GPM Investments, LLC (�GPM�). Based in Richmond, VA, GPM was founded in 2003 with 169 stores and has grown through acquisitions to become the 6th largest convenience store chain in the United States, operating or supplying fuel to approximately 3,000 locations in 33 states and the District of Columbia, comprised of approximately 1,400 company-operated stores and approximately 1,650 dealer sites to which we supply fuel. We operate in three reportable segments: retail, which consists of fuel and merchandise sales to retail consumers; wholesale, which supplies fuel to third-party dealers and consignment agents; and GPM Petroleum, which supplies fuel to our sites (both in the retail and wholesale segments). Our stores offer fas REWARDS� high value loyalty program, a large selection of beverages, coffee, fountain drinks, candy, salty snacks, and many other products to meet the needs of the everyday customer. To learn more about GPM stores, visit: www.gpminvestments.com. To learn more about ARKO, visit: www.arkocorp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes certain �forward-looking statements� within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may address, among other things, our expected financial and operational results and the related assumptions underlying our expected results. These forward-looking statements are distinguished by use of words such as �anticipate,� �aim,� �believe,� �continue,� �could,� �estimate,� �expect,� �intends,� �may,� �might,� �plan,� �possible,� �potential,� �predict,� �project,� �should,� �will,� �would� and the negative of these terms, and similar references to future periods. These statements are based on management�s current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to, among other things, changes in economic, business and market conditions; our ability to maintain the listing of our common stock and warrants on the Nasdaq Stock Market; changes in our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects and plans; expansion plans and opportunities; changes in the markets in which we compete; changes in applicable laws or regulations, including those relating to environmental matters; market conditions and global and economic factors beyond our control, including the potential adverse effects of the ongoing global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on capital markets (including with respect to new variants of the virus), general economic conditions, unemployment and our liquidity, operations and personnel; and the outcome of any known or unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings. Detailed information about these factors and additional important factors can be found in the documents that ARKO files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, such as Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements were made. ARKO assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

Media Contact

Andrew Petro
Matter on behalf of ARKO
(978) 518-4531
[email protected]

Investor Contact

Chris Mandeville
ICR on behalf of ARKO
[email protected]

Use of Non-GAAP Measures

We disclose non-GAAP measures on a �same store basis,� which exclude the results of any store that is not a �same store� for the applicable period. A store is considered a same store beginning in the second quarter in which the store has a full quarter of activity in the prior year. We believe that this information provides greater comparability regarding our ongoing operating performance. These measures should not be considered an alternative to measurements presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (�GAAP�) and are non-GAAP financial measures.

We define EBITDA as net income (loss) before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA further adjusts EBITDA by excluding the gain or loss on disposal of assets, impairment charges, acquisition costs, other non-cash items, and other unusual or non-recurring charges. None of EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA are presented in accordance with GAAP and are non-GAAP financial measures.

We use EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for operational and financial decision-making and believe these measures are useful in evaluating our performance because they eliminate certain items that we do not consider indicators of our operating performance. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are also used by many of our investors, securities analysts, and other interested parties in evaluating our operational and financial performance across reporting periods. We believe that the presentation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors by allowing an understanding of key measures that we use internally for operational decision-making, budgeting, evaluating acquisition targets, and assessing our operating performance.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not recognized terms under GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for net income (loss), cash flows from operating activities, or other income or cash flow statement data. These measures have limitations as analytical tools, and should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. We strongly encourage investors to review our financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.

Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, same stores measures, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, as defined by us, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. It therefore may not be possible to compare our use of these non-GAAP financial measures with those used by other companies.

The following table contains a reconciliation of net income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented: