August Sales Roundup

August was an example of the down economy’s effect on some of the companies tracked by Multichannel Merchant.

Apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch’s total August sales fell 5%, to $405.5 million, compared to $425.4 million in August 2007. What’s more, direct-to-consumer sales tumbled 8%, to $18.9 million. To make matters worse, August same-store sales decreased 11%.

August sales at Neiman Marcus Direct slipped 1.1%. The division consists of the print catalog and online operations for Neiman Marcus and Horchow, as well as the Bergdorf Goodman Website.

J.C. Penney Co. no longer reports its direct sales results, but the general merchant saw same-store sales slip 4.9%. Total sales in August sank 3.2%, to $1.51 billion, down from $1.56 billion for August 2007.

On a bright note, August sales at Victoria’s Secret Direct shot up a whopping 214%. Amie Preston, vice president of investor relations for parent company Limited Brands, said during a conference call that the reason for the massive increase in Victoria’s Secret Direct’s August sales was because last year’s sales were “negatively impacted by shipping delays associated with the opening of the new distribution center.”

Victoria’s Secret Direct’s sales in August 2007 plunged 64% due to the opening of the new distribution center, which caused delays in shipment time.