Kirkland, WA-based Celebrate Express, the marketer behind the Birthday Express, Storybook Heirlooms, and Costume Express brands, reported net sales of $17.9 million for the quarter ended Aug. 31. That’s up 23% from $14.5 million for the comparable quarter of last year. Net income, meanwhile, increased 190% to $700,000 from $241,000 last year. There were no severance-related charges included in the results for the quarter just ended in connection with the departure of two of the company’s officers in July 2005.
During the current quarter, Celebrate Express attracted approximately 118,000 customers and net sales per order increased to $82.03, compared with $79.81 last year, due primarily to expanded merchandising efforts. Repeat customers accounted for about 47% of sales.
Net sales from the Birthday Express brand grew approximately 22% during the quarter, and net sales from the Costume Express brand grew more than 145%.
“Revenue from our Storybook Heirlooms brand was flat compared to last year for the quarter and below management’s expectations,,” Celebrate Express CEO Mike Jewell said in a statement. The company plans to reemphasis the catalog’s special-occasion apparel for girls to set it apart from other merchants of children’s apparel. It also expects to increase its proprietary products as a percent of revenue.