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Michael O'Sullivan

Chief Executive Officer & Director, BURLINGTON STORES INC

Search every verified Michael O'Sullivan interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. During Burlington Stores' fiscal 2026 second quarter earnings webcast on August 27, 2026, CEO Michael O'Sullivan discussed the company's performance across different customer segments. He noted that stores in lower-income trade areas continued to outperform the rest of the chain, with comp growth above the chain average in the second quarter. O'Sullivan also mentioned that stores in high Hispanic areas performed in line with the chain. O'Sullivan addressed the company's approach to tariff refunds, stating that Burlington planned to use the refunds to deliver sharper values for customers rather than taking a one-time boost to earnings. He explained that Burlington's tariff refunds were worth $55 million, which he said was lower than many retail peers as a percentage of sales, partly because the company had pivoted away from categories with high tariff impact in the back half of last year. He noted that while this decision hurt sales trends then, it allowed for strong earnings growth. O'Sullivan also expressed caution about the consumer, citing a spike in gas prices in March related to the Middle East situation that has not proven temporary, adding to concerns that moderate-to-low-income households are feeling stretched.

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