Monthly sales results for the companies tracked by Multichannel Merchant have been abysmal across the board this year. But November sales revealed partial improvement.
First off, total November sales for apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch decreased 8%, to $245.7 million, compared to $267.3 million in November 2008. But, its direct-to-consumer sales rose 3%, to $24.5 million.
General merchant J.C. Penney saw same-store sales slip 5.9%. Total company sales in November decreased 5.2%, to $1.72 billion, down from $1.81 billion for November 2008. Company officials said strong Black Friday sales offset weaker sales in the middle of the month leading up to Thanksgiving.
At Neiman Marcus Direct, November sales for the high-end retailer’s direct unit jumped 18.1%. The division consists of the print catalog and online operations for Neiman Marcus and Horchow, as well as the Bergdorf Goodman Website.
November sales at women’s apparel marketer Victoria’s Secret Direct increased 3%.