Cabela’s Sees Drop in Direct Sales

Cabela’s saw a rise in fourth-quarter sales, but its 2010 fiscal year sales took a hit in part to a drop in direct sales, the outdoor lifestyle merchant reported Feb. 17.

With direct sales of $386.9 million in the fourth quarter, Cabela’s was down 5.1% from $407.6 million the same period in 2009. For the year, Cabela’s did $999.8 million in direct sales, which was down 5.6% compared to 2009.

While direct sales made up 40.2% of Cabela’s revenue in 2009, they accounted for just 37.5% in 2010.

Cabela’s total revenue for 2010 were up 1.2% for the year, and its retail stores saw its sales rise 1.7%.

The company saw a 3.2% rise in store sales for the quarter. It attributed that to a sharper focus on advertising effectiveness and a planned increase in holiday help to serve its customers.