June Sales Roundup

June is the first month of summer, but it remained winter, fiscally speaking, for Sharper Image Corp., as its sales continued to slide. For the other publicly traded companies tracked by MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT, however, June offered brighter results.

At upscale apparel and decor mailer Neiman Marcus Direct, which includes the Horchow and Neiman Marcus titles, June sales increased 16%. Dallas-based parent company Neiman Marcus Group boasted a 10% jump in year-over-year revenue, to $386 million for the five weeks ended July 1.

The direct division of Plano, TX-based J.C. Penney Co. posted a 6% increase in direct sales, to $229 million for the five weeks ended July 1. Internet sales soared 27%, on top of last June's whopping 40% increase. Department store sales rose 5%, to $1.38 billion. Total company sales increased 4%, to $1.61 billion.

Hampstead, MD-based men’s apparel cataloger/retailer Jos. A. Bank Clothiers recorded a 20% increase in combined catalog and Internet sales for June. Total June sales climbed 19%, to $47.7 million for the five weeks ended July 1.

Year-over-year sales at San Francisco-based electronic gifts merchant Sharper Image slid 21%, to $36.4 million from $46.0 million the previous June. Catalog/direct marketing sales (including wholesale) slipped 10%, to $7.6 million from $8.5 million; Internet sales decreased 19%, to $5.4 million from $6.7 million.

“The June sales results continue to reflect previously disclosed softness in three major categories: the slowing of Ionic Breeze Air Purifiers, the slowing of massage chairs, and the discontinuation of the Apple iPod sales,” CEO Richard Thalheimer said in a statement. “However, there are many parts of our recovery strategy that are working well, and I am encouraged by the progress we are currently seeing. The remerchandising of our stores and catalog is proceeding as planned, and many of the new products are selling at or above my expectations. Customers and sales associates are responding well to new presentations of a wide variety of merchandise, at price points from $5 to $300.”

Thalheimer added that sales show customers “responding to a new mix, and I expect to continue to see improving trends. That will become more apparent in the last half of our fiscal year, particularly the important fourth quarter. Though it is discouraging to look at double-digit negative numbers for this month, I remain cautiously optimistic about our business.”