July Sales Roundup

It may have been a hot outside, but July proved rather chilly, fiscally speaking, for Sharper Image Corp., as its sales continued to slide. For the other publicly traded companies tracked by MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT, however, July was much kinder.

At upscale apparel and decor mailer Neiman Marcus Direct, which includes the Horchow and Neiman Marcus titles, July sales increased 11.5%. Dallas-based parent company Neiman Marcus Group boasted a 10% jump in year-over-year revenue, to $249 million for the month ended July 29.

At $182 million, direct sales for Plano, TX-based J.C. Penney Co. were flat for the month ended July 29. Internet sales rose 21%, however, on top of last July’s 30% increase. Department store sales rose 5.5%, to $1.05 billion. Total company sales increased nearly 5%, to $1.24 billion.

Hampstead, MD-based men’s apparel cataloger/retailer Jos. A. Bank Clothiers registered a whopping 34% increase in combined catalog and Internet sales for July. Total July sales climbed 28%, to $34.7 million for the month ended July 29.

July sales at women’s apparel mailer Victoria’s Secret Direct rose 23%, exceeding company expectations. Internet sales continue to exceed expectations as well. Parent company Limited Brands reported a 10% increase in overall July sales, to $656.6 million for the four-week period ended July 29. In addition to Victoria’s Secret, Limited Brands includes the Express and Bath & Body Work retail chains.

Year-over-year sales at San Francisco-based electronic gifts merchant Sharper Image slipped 17%, to $34.8 million from $42 million the previous July. Catalog/direct marketing sales (including wholesale) fell 4%, to $8.5 million from $8.9 million a year ago; Internet sales decreased 17%, to $4.5 million from $5.5 million.