June Sales Roundup

June sales matched the June weather – at least for the Northeast – in that they were downright dismal for the retailers tracked by Multichannel Merchant.

Total June sales for apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch sank 26%, to $230.4 million, compared to $309.7 million in June 2008. Direct-to-consumer sales decreased 17%, to $16.9 million. June same-store sales decreased 32%.

Neiman Marcus Direct’s sales for June fell 9.7%. The division consists of the print catalog and online operations for Neiman Marcus and Horchow, as well as the Bergdorf Goodman Website. Total revenue for June decreased 19.4%, to $323 million, compared to $401 million in June 2008.

June sales at women’s apparel marketer Victoria’s Secret Direct dropped 21%, “reflecting overall demand softness with declines in most merchandise categories, particularly clothing,” said Amie Preston, vice president of investor relations for parent company Limited Brands, during a conference call.

J.C. Penney Co. was the winner in that its sales fell by the least amount: Total June company sales slipped 6.7%, to $1.49 billion, compared to $1.60 billion in June 2008. Since the general merchant no longer reports its direct sales results, we don’t know how the catalogs or Website sales fared.

June Sales Roundup

As American consumers have no choice but to spend more of their income on food and gasoline, the lack of discretionary funds is starting to hit certain retailers hard. A look at June’s sales figures supports that.

June sales at Victoria Secret Direct were up 4% — compared to a 13% increase reported for June 2007. For parent company Limited Brands, which owns the Express retail chain and cataloger/retailer Bath & Body Works, total sales for the five weeks ended July 5 slipped 17.6%, to $1.02 billion, compared to net sales of $1.20 billion for the period last year.

Apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch’s total sales for the five weeks ended July 5 rose 6%, to $309.7 million. Company direct-to-consumer net sales increased 21% to $20.3 million. June comparable store sales decreased 3%.

A sign that the grim economy may be catching up to the luxury market, June sales at Neiman Marcus Direct decreased 0.2%. 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 for the month, but the general merchant saw same-store sales slip 2.4% for the five weeks ended July 5, 2008, compared to a 0.7% decrease last year. Total sales in June were $1.6 billion, a decrease of less than 1% from June 2007. Company officials said women’s merchandise was the top-performing category in June, while sales in fine jewelry and home merchandise waned.

June Sales Roundup

June presented a mixed bag of results for most of the publicly traded companies tracked by MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT. But let’s start off with the bright spots.

The winner for the month is Vernon Hills, IL-based computer products reseller CDW Corp.: Its June sales increased 19.6%, to $718.4. Average daily sales in April rose 25.3%, to $34.2 million.

June sales for Hampstead, MD-based Jos. A. Bank Clothiers rose 11.5%, to $53.2 million, up from $47.7 million in June 2006. What’s more, the menswear cataloger/retailer posted a solid 32.9% rise in direct sales for the month, while same-store sales increased 0.4%.

Victoria’s Secret Direct’s sales for June rose 6%. Columbus, OH-based parent company Limited Brands reported a 3% increase in overall June sales, to $1.20 billion, up from $1.07 billion.

Dallas-based luxury merchant Neiman Marcus Group reported a 7.7% rise in June sales for Neiman Marcus Direct, which consists of the print catalog and online operations for Neiman Marcus and Horchow as well as the Bergdorf Goodman Website. But that’s less than the nearly 16% increase in year-over-year sales the division enjoyed in June last year.

June direct sales for J.C. Penney Co. continued along a recent downward trend. After a 1% decline in March, followed by an 8% dip in April and a 5.1% slide in May, June direct sales dropped 10.9%, to $204 million. Company officials said the 10.9% decrease was in line with guidance for sales to decline about 10%. In comparison, direct sales rose 6% in June 2006.

On a positive note, Penney’s June Internet sales rose 10%. The general merchant’s total May department store sales inched up 1.4%, to $1.40 billion.

And finally, things have gone from bad to worse at San Francisco-based Sharper Image Corp. June sales at the electronic gifts merchant fell 21%, to $28.9 million. Catalog/direct marketing sales (including wholesale) plummeted 50%, to $3.8 million from $7.6 million last year. Internet sales declined 31%, to $3.7 million, and same-store sales decreased 7%. Enough said.

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.”

June Sales Roundup

June sales for most of the publicly traded marketers tracked by CATALOG AGE heated up from the previous year.

For example, catalog sales at San Francisco-based Sharper Image (Nasdaq: SHRP) increased 17%, to $9.9 million from last June’s $8.4 million. Internet sales climbed 55%, to $6.1 million from $3.9 million. Total June sales for the cataloger/retailer of high-tech gadgets increased 28%, to $42.2 million from $33.1 million last year. Total store sales increased 27%, to $26.2 million; comparable-store sales increased 15%.

Comparable June revenue for direct division of Dallas-based Neiman Marcus Group (NYSE: NMG.A), which includes the Horchow, Chef’s Catalog, and Neiman Marcus titles, increased 24% for the period ended July 5. The top-selling merchandise included furniture and rugs, linens, women’s apparel, and shoes. Total revenue for the high-end marketer increased 13%, to $289 million from $255 million the previous June.

Plano, TX-based general merchandiser J.C. Penney Co. (NYSE: JCP) saw a 2% lift in June catalog/Internet sales, to $205 million from last year’s $202 million. Internet sales soared, increasing 60% for the month. Comparable department store sales increased 0.1%. Sales were soft early in the month, strengthening around Father’s.

Total company sales at Hingham, MA-based apparel cataloger/retailer The Talbots (NYSE: TLB) were $173.2 million for the five weeks ended July 5. That’s a 7% increase from $161.8 million for fiscal June 2002. Comparable-store sales decreased 0.9% for the month.

Fort Worth, TX-based The Bombay Co. (NYSE: BBA) enjoyed a 35% rise in June sales, to $51.2 million. Revenue from the home furnishings company’s nonstore divisions, which including the Internet, mail order, and international, accounted for 8% of sales, compared with 6% the previous June. Same-store sales increased 31%.

Columbus, OH-based Limited Brands (NYSE: LTD ) reported a 5% rise in comparable-store sales. Total net sales for the cataloger/retailer, whose brands include Victoria’s Secret and Express, were $832.8 million, up 6% from $783.6 million for June 2002.

Though total June sales increased 26%, to a record $25.5 million, at Hampstead, MD-based Jos. A. Bank Clothiers (NasdaqNM: JOSB), combined catalog and Internet sales declined 0.5% in June. Comparable- store sales increased 15%.

June was kind to Vernon Hills, IL-based computer reseller CDW (Nasdaq: CDWC) too. Sales increased 10%, to $373.4 million from $339.5 million the previous June.

Downers Grove, IL-based The Spiegel Group, however, continued its slide. The parent company ofEddie Bauer, Newport News, and the Spiegel catalog suffered a 19% drop in June sales, to $160.2 million for the five weeks ended June 28.

Catalog and e-commerce sales also decreased 19%, primarily due to lower customer demand and a planned reduction in circulation at general merchandiser Spiegel and apparel mailer Newport News. Apparel and home decor cataloger/retailer Eddie Bauer did see a lift in direct sales, though, driven by the shift in the mailing of its Ultimate Summer Sale catalog to June this year from July of last year and by increased online promotions. Eddie Bauer’s June comparable-store sales decreased 7%, however.

June sales roundup

For the most part, June sales among publicly traded catalogers were more of the same. Those companies that had been enjoying revenue increases continued to grow their business; those that had seen sales slip continued to perform weakly.

Case in point: Downers Grove, IL-based The Spiegel Group (OTC: SPGLA). For the five weeks ended June 29, the multititle mailer posted sales of $196.6 million, down 20% from sales of $246.3 million for June 2001. Sales from the Newport News apparel andhome goods catalogs fell 29%; catalog and retail sales at apparel and home goods brand Eddie Bauer dropped 11%; and sales from the general merchandise Spiegel catalogs tumbled 36%. Online sales dropped 3%. All told, direct sales plummeted 31, while store sales dropped 6%. Circulation cuts, more stringent criteria for granting credit, and weak response all contributed to the sluggish performance.

June catalog sales for another general merchandiser, Plano, TX-based J.C. Penney Co. (NYSE: JCP), dropped nearly 22%, to $202.0 million from $258.0 million. While circulation cuts accounted for some of the decline, sales were nonetheless below plan, due to weak customer demand. The company’s department store sales fell less than 1%, to $1.22 billion. Total company revenue, including sales from the Eckerd drugstore chain, fell nearly 1%, to $2.79 billion.

June sales for the direct division of apparel cataloger/retailer J. Crew Group fell nearly 8%, to $18.3 million from $19.8 million last year. The 11% rise in Internet sales, to $10.9 million, wasn’t enough to offset the 26% decline in catalog sales, to $7.4 million. The New York-based company’s total sales for the month slid 2%, to $65.4 million.

On the brighter side June direct sales for men’s apparel cataloger/retailer Jos. A. Bank Clothiers (Nasdaq: JOSB) rose 33%. The Hampstead, MD-based marketer didn’t break out the month’s sales by channel. Total company sales for the month ended July 6 were $20.3 million, up 8% from $18.9 million for fiscal June 2001.

And as reported earlier, cataloger/retailer The Sharper Image (Nasdaq: SHRP) reported a 19% rise in sales for fiscal June, to $33.1 million. Catalog sales climbed 18%, to $8.4 million from $7.1 million in June 2001. Internet sales rose 20%, to $3.9 million, while store sales increased 19%, to $20.7 million.

June Sales Roundup

Stamford, CT—Looking for a list of gainers and losers in terms of June sales? There are losers galore, but gainers are in short supply.

Catalog sales at Plano, TX-based general merchandiser J. C. Penney skidded 29% in June, from $365 million to $258 million. Fortunately, total company revenue dipped less than 1%, to $2.77 billion for the five weeks ended June 30. For the 22 weeks ended June 30, Penney posted catalog sales of $1.4 million, a 16% decrease from $1.6 million during the same period in 2000. The cataloger/retailer attributed the decline to later-than-usual distribution of its fall/winter big book and overall weak consumer demand.

Apparel cataloger/retailer J. Crew also reported a double-digit drop in catalog sales. The New York-based marketer’s total revenue for the five weeks ended July 7 was $66.9 million, up slightly from $66.6 million for the comparable period last year. But catalog sales fell 25%, to $10 million from $13.3 million last June. Web sales, on the other hand, increased 28%, to $9.8 million from $7.1 million.

The Spiegel Group (NYSE: SPGLA), which mails the Newport News, Eddie Bauer, and Spiegel catalogs, reported an 8% decline in sales, to $146.3 million for the five weeks ended June 30. Catalog sales fell 18%, while sales at the Eddie Bauer retail chain dropped 5%. On the bright side, Web sales jumped 46%.

Columbus, OH-based Intimate Brands (NYSE: IBI), which mails the Victoria’s Secret catalog, reported net sales of $486.3 million for the month, a 4% decline from $504.0 million the previous June. What’s more, Intimate Brands posted a 2% decrease in comparable store sales for the five weeks ended July 7.

Largely as a result of the strategic downsizing of its Fingerhut Cos. catalog and the closing of its Stern’s department-store chain, cataloger/retailer Federated Department Stores (NYSE: FD) reported a 10% drop in June sales. The Cincinnati-based marketer, which also mails the Bloomingdale’s by Mail and Macy’s by Mail catalog, posted sales of nearly $1.41 billion for the five weeks ended July 7, down from $1.57 billion last year. The multititle Fingerhut division saw June sales tumble 43%, to $79 million from $138 million last year.

High-tech gadgets cataloger/retailer Sharper Image (NasdaqNM: SHRP) reported catalog sales of $7.1 million for the month of June, a 45% increase over the prior June’s $4.9 million. And Web sales increased 7%, to $16.8 million from last year’s $15.7 million. But the San Francisco-based marketer’s total June sales decreased 1%, to $27.7 million from $27.9 million lst year.