더 조인트(JYNT) 2026년 3분기 실적 발표: 수익성 개선, 매출 전망치 하향
2026년 3분기 더 조인트의 매출은 전년 동기 대비 1% 증가한 1,360만 달러를 기록했으나, 시스템 매출은 3.1% 감소한 1억 2,330만 달러를 나타냈다. 동일 매장 매출은 1.9% 감소했으나 전분기 대비 개선되었다. 경영진은 지속적인 부진의 원인으로 소비 지출 압박, 신규 환자 감소 등을 꼽았다. 계속영업 순이익은 150만 달러로 증가했으며, 조정 EBITDA는 230만 달러를 기록했다. 회사는 소비 지출 압박을 반영해 2026년 시스템 매출 전망치를 하향 조정하고, 연말 클리닉 수가 약 50개 감소할 것으로 예상하고 있으나, 2027년에는 클리닉 수 순증이 재개될 것으로 전망하고 있다.
핵심 요약
- 2026년 3분기 매출은 전년 동기 대비 1% 증가한 1,360만 달러를 기록한 반면, 시스템 매출은 3.1% 감소한 1억 2,330만 달러에 그쳤다.
- 동일 매장 매출은 1.9% 감소했으나, 2분기(-2.8%) 및 1분기(-4.2%)의 감소폭과 비교해 전분기 대비 개선됐다. 경영진은 이러한 지속적인 부진의 원인으로 소비 지출 압박, 신규 환자 감소, 환자당 월평균 지출 감소 등을 꼽았다.
- 계속영업 순이익은 29만 달러에서 150만 달러로 증가했다. 계속영업 조정 EBITDA는 140만 달러에서 230만 달러로 증가해 자본 효율적인 가맹 본부 모델에 따른 영업 레버리지 효과를 반영했다.
- 클리닉당 활성 회원 수는 전년 동기 및 전분기 대비 모두 증가했다. 월평균 지출은 여전히 압박을 받고 있으나, 전환율, 유지율, 회원 유지 기간 및 활성 회원당 총 지출 역시 개선됐다.
- 더 조인트는 2026년 시스템 매출 전망치를 5억 800만~5억 1,200만 달러로 하향 조정했으며, 동일 매장 매출은 2.5%~3.5% 감소할 것으로 예상하고 있다. 연결 조정 EBITDA 가이던스는 1,250만~1,350만 달러로 유지됐다.
- 2026년에 신규 개원한 클리닉은 과거 평균 약 18개월이 소요되던 것에 비해 평균 약 3개월 만에 손익분기점에 도달하고 있다. 경영진은 추가적인 포트폴리오 최적화 이후 2027년에 클리닉 수 순증이 재개될 것으로 전망하고 있다.
주요 재무 데이터
| 지표 | 2026년 3분기 | 비교 | 코멘트 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 매출 | 1,360만 달러 | 전년 동기 대비 1% 증가 | 1,340만 달러에서 증가 |
| 시스템 매출 | 1억 2,330만 달러 | 전년 동기 대비 3.1% 감소 | 소비 지출 압박 지속 |
| 동일 매장 매출 | -1.9% | 2분기: -2.8%, 1분기: -4.2% | 전분기 대비 개선세 지속 |
| 로열티 수수료 | 830만 달러 | 전년 동기 대비 2% 증가 | 가맹 전환 클리닉에서 로열티 추가 발생 |
| 계속영업 순이익 | 150만 달러 | 2025년 3분기 29만 달러 | 약 120만 달러 개선 |
| 계속영업 조정 EBITDA | 230만 달러 | 2025년 3분기 140만 달러 | 가맹 본부 모델의 영업 레버리지 수혜 |
| 연결 조정 EBITDA | 330만 달러 | 2025년 3분기와 유사 | 연결 기준 영업 실적 포함 |
| 연결 순손실 | 11만 7,000달러(주당 0.01달러) | 순이익 85만 5,000달러(희석 주당 0.06달러) | 중단영업 손익 포함 |
| 영업 현금흐름 | -12만 8,000달러 | 2025년 3분기 180만 달러 | 소송 합의금 150만 달러 지급분 포함 |
| 잉여현금흐름 | -50만 9,000달러 | 2025년 3분기 150만 달러 | 소유권 이전 완료 후 개선 전망 |
| 사용제한 없는 현금 | 1,830만 달러 | 2026년 2분기 말 2,220만 달러 | 2,000만 달러 규모의 신용한도는 미인출 상태 유지 |
사업 및 운영 성과
이번 분기 동안 회원 트렌드가 개선됐다. 클리닉당 활성 회원 수는 전년 동기 및 2026년 2분기 대비 모두 증가했으며 전환율과 유지율도 강화됐다. 또한 회원들의 유지 기간이 길어지면서 더 조인트와의 관계 전반에 걸친 총 지출액도 증가했다.
월 1회 및 2회 방문이 가능한 유연한 월간 요금제는 신규 환자 유치와 기존 회원의 해지 감소에 기여했다. 다만 경영진은 해당 요금제로 인해 환자당 월평균 지출이 약 2달러 희석되어 회원 수 증가에 따른 단기적 수혜의 일부가 상쇄됐다고 밝혔다.
회사는 2027년 1월 6개의 AI 에이전트를 탑재한 AI 기반 리드 관리 플랫폼을 출시할 계획이다. 경영진은 잠재 고객 후속 관리, 예약 진행, 자주 묻는 질문 응대 등이 가능한 이 시스템이 2027년 중 동일 매장 매출 성장에 기여하기 시작할 수 있을 것으로 보고 있다.
클리닉 개발은 보다 엄격한 입지 선정, 역량 있는 운영자 유치, 개원 전 마케팅 요건 강화 등을 통해 뒷받침되고 있다. 2026년에 신규 개원한 클리닉은 과거 평균 약 18개월이 소요되던 것에 비해 평균 약 3개월 만에 손익분기점에 도달하고 있다.
더 조인트는 3분기 중 4개 지점을 신규 개원하고 15개 지점을 폐점했으며 26개 지점을 가맹 전환해 총 930개 클리닉으로 분기를 마감했다. 직영 또는 위탁 관리 중인 나머지 15개 클리닉의 이전 작업도 여전히 진행 중이다. 이전이 완료되면 직영 또는 위탁 관리 매장은 전혀 남지 않을 것으로 회사는 예상하고 있다.
회사는 지역 개발권 환수도 지속했다. 텍사스를 포함해 2026년에 총 189개 클리닉을 포괄하는 5개 지역 개발권 인수를 발표했다. 이러한 거래를 통해 연간 약 300만 달러의 지역 개발사 로열티 지급을 줄일 수 있을 것으로 예상되며, 이 혜택의 약 3분의 1은 내부 관리 비용으로 상쇄될 전망이다.
10월 1일 더 조인트는 141개 가맹 클리닉을 관할하는 텍사스 지역 개발권을 재인수하기 위해 800만 달러를 지급했다. 향후 2년간 해당 지역의 총매출에 연동되어 최대 200만 달러의 추가 대가가 지급될 수 있다.
경영진 가이던스
| 2026년 전망 | 수정 가이던스 | 기존 가이던스 |
|---|---|---|
| 시스템 매출 | 5억 800만~5억 1,200만 달러 | 5억 1,900만~5억 5,200만 달러 |
| 시스템 동일 매장 매출 | -3.5% ~ -2.5% | -3% ~ 3% |
| 연결 조정 EBITDA | 1,250만~1,350만 달러 | 기존 전망 유지 |
| 연말 클리닉 수 | 2025년 말 대비 약 50개 감소 | — |
경영진은 수정된 전망치에 올해 첫 9개월간의 실적과 소비 지출에 대한 지속적인 거시경제적 압박이 반영됐다고 설명했다. 회사는 2027년에 클리닉 수 성장이 재개될 것으로 예상하며, 해당 연도의 최우선 과제로 동일 매장 매출 개선을 꼽았다.
잔여 소유권 이전이 완료된 후, 경영진은 매출총이익률 83%~85%, 매출 대비 일반관리비 비율 40%~42%, 매출 대비 자본적 지출 약 3%, 잉여현금흐름 전환율 60%~70%를 장기 목표가 아닌 출발 기준 지표로 보고 있다. 이러한 기준은 조정 EBITDA 마진 19%~21%, 순이익률 13%~15%를 의미한다.
리스크 및 주시 요인
- 소비 지출 압박이 지속되면서 신규 환자 방문 및 환자당 월평균 지출이 계속 감소하고 있다.
- 유연한 멤버십 제도가 전환율과 유지율을 개선하고 있으나, 현재 환자당 월평균 지출을 희석시키고 있다.
- 회원 수 및 고객생애가치 지표가 개선되었음에도 불구하고 시스템 매출과 동일 매장 매출은 여전히 마이너스를 기록하고 있다.
- 포트폴리오 최적화로 인해 클리닉 수가 줄어들고 있으며, 연말 기준 클리닉 수는 2025년 말 대비 약 50개 적을 것으로 예상된다.
- AI 리드 플랫폼, 클리닉 확장, 신규 진료 서비스 제공을 통해 기대되는 혜택은 성공적인 실행과 환자의 수용 여부에 달려 있다.
- 3분기 현금흐름은 150만 달러의 소송 합의금 지급으로 타격을 받았으며, 텍사스 개발권 인수에는 분기 말 이후 800만 달러의 현금이 소요됐다.
애널리스트 Q&A 주요 내용
경영진은 신규 클리닉의 성과 개선 요인으로 더욱 엄격해진 입지 선정, 자본력이 우수한 다점포 운영자, 개원 전 필수 리드 발굴 프로토콜 등을 꼽았다. 회사는 클리닉 기반의 효율화 작업이 대부분 2026년 내에 완료될 예정이며, 2027년부터 점포 수 성장이 재개될 것으로 예상된다고 확인했다.
유연한 멤버십과 관련해 경영진은 이용 빈도가 낮은 요금제가 신규 유치와 기존 고객 유지 모두에 기여하고 있다고 설명했다. 이 요금제는 신규 환자의 전환을 확대하는 동시에, 월 4회 방문 비용을 감당하기 어렵거나 다 이용하지 못하는 회원에게 계약 해지 대신 선택할 수 있는 대안을 제공하고 있다. 회사는 이러한 요금제가 기존 매출을 갉아먹지 않고 순증 효과를 내도록 영업 프로세스를 지속적으로 고도화하고 있다.
동일 매장 매출 감소에 대한 질문에 경영진은 소비 압박과 운영상 요인이 결합된 결과라고 설명했다. 이번 분기 동안 인플레이션과 유가가 압박 요인으로 지목됐으며, 평균 지출 감소는 회원 전환율 및 유지율 개선에 따른 혜택을 일부 상쇄했다.
실적 발표 컨퍼런스콜 전문
전체 실적 발표 컨퍼런스 콜 녹취록
경영진 발표
Operator
Good day, and welcome to The Joint Corporation Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please note this event is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Richard Land with Alliance Advisors. Please go ahead.
Richard Land
Thank you, Danielle, and good afternoon, everyone. Joining us on the call today are President and CEO Sanjiv Razdan and CFO Scott Bowman. Please note we are using a slide presentation that can be found on The Joint's IR website.
This afternoon, The Joint Corp. issued a press release for the third quarter ended September 30, 2026. The release is available on the company's website. Please be advised that today's discussion, including any financial and related guidance to be provided, consists of forward-looking statements as defined by securities laws. These statements are based on information currently available to us and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future results, performance and business prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these statements. Some important factors that could cause such differences are discussed in the Risk Factors section of The Joint Corp.'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made, and the company assumes no obligation to update them except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. Management uses non-GAAP financial measures such as EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, and free cash flow. The description of these measures is included in the press release issued earlier this afternoon, and reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP measures are included in the appendix to the presentation and press release, both available in the Investors tab of our website.
With that, I'll now turn the call over to Sanjiv Razdan. Sanjiv, please go ahead.
Sanjiv Razdan
Thank you, Richard, and good afternoon, everyone. Our third quarter results show that the actions we have taken to strengthen patient engagement and reshape our operating model are beginning to work together. We are encouraged by progress in several of our leading patient metrics, while recognizing that the consumer environment continues to weigh on spending and our comparable sales. Our active membership count grew during the quarter as our initiative to win back lapsed patients gained momentum. Patients are also staying with us longer and spending more over the course of their relationship with The Joint, supporting higher patient lifetime value.
At the same time, ongoing pressure on consumer spending led to fewer new patients and lower average patient spend per month, which weighed on comp sales. Comp sales were negative 1.9% in the third quarter, improving from negative 2.8% in the second quarter and negative 4.2% in the first quarter. Financially, we continue to see the benefits of our capital-light model with revenue growth and stronger profitability from continuing operations. Scott will walk through the results in more detail. Overall, we are pleased to see that the underlying membership and lifetime value trends are improving and our franchisor model is producing stronger profitability. Our updated outlook takes a realistic view of the consumer, while our focus remains squarely on returning to positive comp sales.
Turning to Slide 5, let me briefly highlight our third quarter financial results. Revenue increased 1% year-over-year to $13.6 million. System-wide sales were $123.3 million, down 3.1% from the prior year period, while comp sales were negative 1.9% versus negative 2.8% in the second quarter. Net income from continuing operations increased by $1.2 million to $1.5 million, compared with $290,000 in the third quarter of 2025. Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations increased by $900,000 to $2.3 million compared with $1.4 million in the prior year period. Together, these results reflect the improving operating leverage of our franchisor model.
Turning to Slide 6, now turning to membership and patient metrics, we saw encouraging progress during the quarter. Conversion and retention improved, supporting active membership growth. Active members per clinic increased compared with prior year period and compared with the second quarter of 2026. We also increased the average number of months per active member and total dollars per active member, improving patient lifetime value. In short, members are staying with us longer and spending more over their relationship with The Joint.
However, lower average patient spend per month partially offset these benefits, which is why the underlying gains have not yet translated into positive comps. While the longer-term value of the patient relationship is improving, near-term spending remains under pressure. Our focus remains on building the active member base and delivering value in a way that supports patients and the franchisees through the current environment.
Turning to Slide 7, we are pursuing growth in 3 ways: improving comp sales, expanding our clinic network, and responding to growing consumer interest in longevity and health span. I'll start with comp sales, where our initiatives follow the patient journey: attracting new patients, converting them to members, and keeping them engaged longer.
First, we are improving new patient acquisition by strengthening lead management. We are on track to launch a new AI-powered lead management platform supported by 6 AI agents in January 2027. We believe it can begin contributing to comp sales growth during 2027. Among other things, it has the capability to follow up on leads, book appointments, and answer frequently asked questions. This builds on our broader digital efforts to help more patients find The Joint and understand how we can help. Our SEO and AI visibility work continues to support online discovery with our AI visibility score remaining in the mid-70s ahead of competitors across key search topics. We also recently updated our website to highlight our doctors' experience and address common patient questions about pain and specific conditions, helping turn online interest into clinic visits.
Second, we are improving conversion through flexible membership plans. Our flexible membership options give patients more choice while preserving the affordability and accessibility of The Joint model. Lowering the barrier to joining helps us convert more first-time visitors into members and gives existing members a reason to stay rather than cancel.
Third, we are improving retention and winning back lapsed patients. These patients already know The Joint and have benefited from our membership model when they were previously in discomfort. During the third quarter, targeted outreach and promotions helped drive higher lapsed patient win back compared with the prior year period, supporting active membership growth. The cost to bring back a lapsed patient is significantly lower compared to the cost to acquire someone new to The Joint.
And finally, we are also improving member engagement by personalizing the experience for our MVPs, or most valuable patients, to increase their lifetime value. During the third quarter, we launched new app features addressing some of their most requested needs, including adding clinic wait times, which doctor is on schedule, in-app registration, along with birthday and membership anniversary recognition.
Turning to Slide 8, beyond improving comp sales, we are also focused on expanding our clinic network using 3 strategies. First, we are improving new clinic economics. Our 2025 clinic class continues to outperform prior year cohorts and clinics opened in 2026 are performing even better. For example, our recent average time to break even for new 2026 clinics is approximately 3 months compared with approximately 18 months historically. This performance has been supported by more disciplined site selection and more rigorous pre-opening protocols.
Second, we are attracting franchisees with the capacity to expand. We are targeting well-capitalized, experienced multi-site operators while supporting strong existing franchisees that are interested in adding locations. Our compact clinic footprint, low capital requirement, and lean staffing model are well suited to multi-unit ownership.
And third, we are advancing development in reacquired regional developer territories. Buying back RD rights allows us to support franchisees directly, strengthen clinic performance, and recruit operators for specific markets. Across the 5 territories that we reacquired this year, we have identified potential for more than 150 additional clinics, providing a meaningful development opportunity. Supporting all 3, we recently signed with a franchise broker network to accelerate franchisee recruitment and drive new clinic openings.
Turning to Slide 9, our third growth opportunity is to elevate the patient experience and our care offerings to align with growing consumer interest in longevity, health span, mobility, and noninvasive whole body care. As Americans live longer, there is a growing consumer need for improving health span. We believe that The Joint model of improving patient mobility and lowering pain is relevant to this need. We are using consumer research to better understand patient needs and personalize the experience, which is helping us to match our offerings with patients' demands. Pain relief and improved mobility remain central to our message alongside the quality of the patient experience. Our goal is to help patients get back to doing the things they love and encourage long-term engagement.
We are in early stages of testing proprietary clinical care protocols with measurable health outcomes. This includes mobility scores, giving patients clear visibility into their improvement in mobility, pain, and functional health over time, all with the intent of providing our patients with more personalized care and the motivation for consistent ongoing care. And finally, we are piloting complementary retail offerings, including orthotics and nutritional supplements, as we evaluate additional ways to address patient needs and supporting our positioning around mobility and whole body care.
Let's turn to Slide 10. Now, moving on to re-franchising efforts. Supporting these growth priorities is our transition to a capital-light, pure-play franchisor model. With re-franchising substantially complete, our management team is focusing more directly on franchisee support, patient acquisition, and network development with less operational complexity from company-owned clinics. The ownership transfers for our 15 remaining company-owned or managed clinics continue to progress as lease assignments and related steps are completed. Once those transfers are complete, we will have no remaining company-owned or managed clinics.
The benefits of the model are increasingly visible in our results. Through the first 9 months of 2026, net income from continuing operations improved to $2.3 million from a net loss of $1.2 million a year ago, while adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations increased to $5.9 million from $1.5 million. This structure is helping to improve margins, profitability, and cash generation from continuing operations. While we still have work to do to restore consistent system-wide growth, the business is leaner and better positioned to convert future growth into earnings and cash flow.
With that, I'll turn it over to Scott.
Scott Bowman
Thanks, Sanjiv. First, I'll review some key operating metrics. System-wide sales in the third quarter were $123.3 million, a decline of 3.1% compared with the same period last year. Comp sales were negative 1.9% versus negative 2.8% in the second quarter, consistent with the sequential progression that Sanjiv discussed earlier. Adjusted EBITDA from consolidated operations was $3.3 million, in line with the third quarter of 2025.
Turning to Slide 13, I'll review the financial results in more detail. Revenue increased 1% to $13.6 million from $13.4 million in the prior year period. Royalty fees increased 2% to $8.3 million, outpacing system-wide sales, as refranchised clinics generated royalties that were not included in the prior year period. Cost of revenues was $2.4 million, down 10% from the same period last year, primarily reflecting lower regional developer royalty costs as we continue to reacquire RD territories. Selling and marketing expense was $2.7 million, down 4% from the prior year period, primarily due to lower system sales. Depreciation and amortization expense was $262,000, while G&A expense decreased 6% to $6.9 million from $7.3 million in the third quarter of 2025.
Net income from continuing operations was $1.5 million, compared with $290,000 in the same period last year. Including discontinued operations, consolidated net loss was $117,000, or $0.01 per share, compared with consolidated net income of $855,000, or $0.06 per diluted share in the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations increased to $2.3 million from $1.4 million a year ago, reflecting the improved operating leverage of our franchisor model.
Now onto the balance sheet and liquidity. Unrestricted cash at the end of the third quarter was $18.3 million compared with $22.2 million at the end of the second quarter. Subsequent to quarter end, we paid $8 million at closing to reacquire the Texas RD rights. Operating cash flow was negative $128,000, and free cash flow was negative $509,000 in the third quarter, primarily reflecting a $1.5 million payment in the quarter for a legal settlement from 2024. This compares to operating cash flow of $1.8 million and free cash flow of $1.5 million in the prior year period. We expect free cash flow to improve as the remaining ownership transfers are completed. We maintain our $20 million line of credit with JPMorgan Chase, which remains fully undrawn and available through August 2029. Together, our cash position and undrawn credit facility provide flexibility to execute our capital allocation framework while maintaining appropriate liquidity.
Turning to Slide 15, our approach to capital allocation remains balanced. Our first priority is to invest in initiatives that support sustainable system-wide growth. We also evaluate regional developer territory buybacks and share repurchases based on their expected returns, strategic value, and the liquidity needs of the business. RD territory buybacks improve our economics by allowing us to recapture approximately two-thirds of the royalties previously paid to the regional developer. They also give us a more direct relationship with franchisees, supporting the operating and development priorities Sanjiv outlined.
As I just noted, on October 1, we reacquired the Regional Developer Rights for Texas, our largest RD territory, representing 141 franchised clinics, for $8 million in cash at closing, and up to $2 million in potential additional consideration tied to gross sales in the region over the next 2 years. Including Texas, we have announced 5 RD territory buybacks in 2026, totaling 189 clinics. Together, these territories are expected to reduce RD royalties by approximately $3 million on an annualized basis, with about one-third of that benefit offset by internal cost to manage them.
Share repurchases are another way to create value and return capital to shareholders when market conditions make them an attractive use of cash. During the third quarter, we repurchased approximately 461,000 shares for $3.8 million at an average price of $8.30 per share, completing the $12 million authorization approved in November 2025. Subsequent to the quarter end, our board approved an additional $5 million authorization, giving us continued flexibility to repurchase shares opportunistically. We will continue to balance these uses of capital while preserving appropriate liquidity and capacity to invest in the business.
On to Slide 16, let's discuss our clinic count. Total clinic count was 930 at the end of the third quarter. During the quarter, we opened 4 clinics, closed 15 clinics, and refranchised 26 clinics. Our newer clinics continue to perform well, supporting our confidence that our more disciplined approach to operator quality, site selection, and opening support is producing a healthier foundation for future unit growth. We continue to work with franchise owners to optimize the existing clinic base. This includes closing underperforming clinics, which we expect will result in the overall clinic count at year-end being approximately 50 clinics below year-end 2025. We expect to get back to clinic growth beginning next year.
On Slide 17, I'd like to briefly revisit the financial profile of our pure-play franchisor model. The Joint is now operating with a right-sized structure with lower G&A expense and improved profitability from continuing operations. We continue to view the model parameters previously introduced as starting points once the remaining ownership transfers are complete rather than long-term targets. As a reminder, these starting points include gross margin of 83% to 85% of revenue, G&A expense of 40% to 42% of revenue, capital expenditures of approximately 3% of revenue, and free cash flow conversion of 60% to 70%. Together, these starting points would imply an adjusted EBITDA margin of 19% to 21% and a net income margin of 13% to 15%. We intend to build on this profile in 2027 and beyond.
On Slide 18, we are updating our full year 2026 financial guidance to reflect results through the first 9 months and continued macroeconomic pressure on consumer spending. We now expect system-wide sales of $508 million to $512 million, compared with our prior range of $519 million to $552 million. System-wide comp sales are expected to be in the range of negative 3.5% to negative 2.5%, compared with our prior range of negative 3% to positive 3%. We are reiterating our consolidated adjusted EBITDA guidance of $12.5 million to $13.5 million. As noted earlier, we expect total clinic count at year-end 2026 to be approximately 50 units below year-end 2025 as we continue to optimize the existing clinic base.
Our updated outlook reflects continued pressure on consumer spending. At the same time, improvements in active membership, retention, patient lifetime value, and newer clinic performance give us confidence that the business is well-positioned to return to growth as our initiatives take hold.
With that, I'll turn it back over to Sanjiv.
Sanjiv Razdan
Thanks, Scott. Let me look at Slide 20. The third quarter reflects meaningful progress in the areas that will support the long-term health of the business. We grew our active membership count, with members staying with us longer. Total dollars per active member increased, and conversion and retention are improving. Together with stronger new clinic performance, these are important building blocks for future growth. We are confident that the underlying operating indicators are moving in the right direction. The business is structurally stronger and our priorities remain clear.
Our priority for 2027 is clear. We are single-mindedly focused on improving comp sales.
With that, operator, we are ready for questions.
Operator
[Operator Instructions] The first question comes from Jeremy Pearlman from Maxim Group. Please go ahead.
질의응답
Jeremy Pearlman
Firstly, you mentioned that some of the newer franchised clinics are actually performing well. What do you attribute that to, and how do you replicate that to the current franchise base?
Sanjiv Razdan
Yes, great question, Jeremy. Thank you. This is Sanjiv. We attribute that to 3 fundamental things.
#1, the rigor that we are applying to site selection is exponentially more than what we have applied historically.
#2, we have brought on some very well-capitalized, strong operators, boots on the ground, and the openings that we've seen with them are very strong.
#3, and perhaps most importantly, we are enforcing compliance with pre-opening protocols of how we expect franchisees to market a clinic even before it opens. In a membership-based model, it's highly critical to have a strong lead generation even before the doors open to make sure that the franchisee and the clinic gets to break-even sales very, very quickly. We feel like we have that playbook, and we are not allowing any clinic to open without compliance with that playbook, and we're also supporting our franchisees in their ability to achieve the outcomes.
Jeremy Pearlman
Okay, I understand. That's great. And then maybe just, you know, you're rationalizing the actual base. You said there's going to be 50 or fewer locations by the end of this year compared to year-end 2025, is that just pretty much all the rationalization? And '27, I think you mentioned that's when you're going to start to, you know, the openings back up and...
Sanjiv Razdan
That is accurate.
Jeremy Pearlman
Okay, that's great. And then just the last question referring, you know, you said your active membership is up. That has to do with a new membership structure. So is that new membership structure generating incremental patient demand or is it primarily improving retention among existing customers?
Sanjiv Razdan
Yes, let me provide some additional context to that. So first of all, we're really pleased and encouraged that we have more active members in our system per clinic today than we did same time last year. To frame something we've shared previously, the average household income of our patients tends to be somewhere between $60,000 to $110,000. The lower end of that income band is also what is now often referred to as the bottom of the K-shaped economy. Those members are pressured in terms of disposable income.
We had done a significant amount of research earlier this year and last year to understand what the shifting consumer needs were. And what we learned was 3 things: patients stop staying with us because they're no longer in pain, they don't want to pay the membership fee or they feel unable to afford the membership fee for much longer, and often they don't have the time to enjoy up to 4 visits per month that their standard membership allows.
So as a result of that, we introduced some flexible membership options which were not only lower priced but also allowed them lower frequency of visits. These have been leveraged by our teams to help convert new patients into members and also prevent existing members from canceling their memberships. So what we're finding is that as a result, our retention is much higher, our conversion is much higher, and the patients that have come on to these flexible plans are staying with us for longer because this comes at a price and a visit frequency that they feel meets their needs better. So that is what we're seeing.
Now what is the upside of this? The upside is that the overall lifetime value is increasing, both in time spent and dollars. The downside of it is that in the short term, we are seeing a spend dilution per patient per month of roughly, to give you a sense, about $2. So when you think about $2, it's not in itself an enormous amount, but it is meaningful enough to erode the benefit at the moment of the upside that we're seeing in active members.
So we are now working to double down on retention and double down on improving our conversion and leveraging these. That's a long way of saying 2 things: 1, we are converting more patients into members as a result of these options, and 2, we're also preventing more cancellations as a result of these options.
Scott Bowman
Yes, just 2 quick thoughts here. Those new plans that Sanjiv mentioned...
Sanjiv Razdan
Yes, I can handle that. Oh, yes, sure.
Scott Bowman
The intent, 1 is for 2 visits a month, 1 for 1 visit a month. And 1 of the use cases is if, like Sanjiv said, if they can't afford or don't have the time for 4 visits a month, they can do 2 visits a month with the optionality of buying more visits for $25. So that's a really good step down if somebody doesn't want the full wellness plan, you can step them down to that. If somebody wants to cancel, they come in and they want to cancel their plan because they don't have the money or time, we can offer that or we can offer the 1-visit plan that has been very popular.
We're still optimizing the sales process of that to make sure that the sales of those plans are mostly incremental, which in most cases they are. There's some fine-tuning we'll continue to do, though. But we feel like those 2 plans really round out our offering, especially in times where people are a little strained financially. It works very well in that situation. So as we continue to optimize that mix, we think good things will happen. We're already seeing the retention and conversion improvement, early days, but there'll be more to come.
Jeremy Pearlman
Okay, great. And then just last question, you know, how much of the same-store comp sales decrease, how much do you attribute that to weakness in the underlying consumer versus maybe the franchise owner is not operating as well as he could be?
Scott Bowman
Yes. I mean, I think it's probably a combination. I mean, I think the macro, I don't think it's changed that much. You know, I think gas prices and overall inflation has had probably a little bit larger impact in the quarter. So I think there's that. So I think these new plans have helped us, but as Sanjiv mentioned, they've been somewhat offset by the lower average spend in the near term.
Jeremy Pearlman
All right. Thank you for all that information. I'll hop back into the queue.
Operator
This concludes our question and answer session. I would like to turn the conference back over to Sanjiv Razdan for closing remarks.
Sanjiv Razdan
Thank you all for joining us today. Have a great day. And remember, at The Joint, we always have your back. Thank you, operator. Let's close out the call.
Operator
The conference is now concluded. Thank you for attending today's presentation. You may now disconnect.
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