Total sales for Talbots Inc. rose 2 percent to $401.8 million in the 13 weeks of the third fiscal quarter ended Nov. 2 from $393.9 million last year, the Hingham, MA, company said yesterday.
Retail store sales increased 4 percent to $339.7 million in the quarter from $325.7 million while comparable store sales fell 3.2 percent. Catalog sales dropped 9 percent to $62.1 million from $68.2 million.
Year-to-date sales in the 39 weeks ended Nov. 2 fell 1 percent to $1.1635 billion from the $1.1793 billion for the 39 weeks ended Nov. 3, 2001. Retail store sales were about flat in the period, at $984.4 million compared with $983.3 million last year. Comparable store sales dropped 6.9 percent, and catalog sales fell 9 percent to $179.1 million from $196 million last year.
In other news:
Sharper Image Corp., San Francisco, said that total sales rose 39 percent to $103.2 million in the three months ended Oct. 31 from last year's third-quarter total of $74.3 million. Total store sales skyrocketed 37 percent to $57.2 million from $41.8 million, and comparable store sales increased 24 percent in the quarter. Catalog sales rose 46 percent to $33.3 million from last year's third-quarter sales of $22.8 million. Internet sales, excluding auction sales, increased 48 percent. Internet sales including auction sales rose 32 percent to $12.8 million from $9.7 million.
In the nine months ended Oct. 31, total sales increased 32 percent to $293.1 million from last year's $222.1 million. Total store sales rose 27 percent to $165.6 million from $130.1 million while comparable store sales increased 14 percent. Catalog sales rose 45 percent to $91 million from $62.6 million. Internet sales, excluding auction sales, increased 42 percent. Internet sales including auction sales rose 24 percent to $36.4 million from $29.3 million.
Restoration Hardware Inc., Corte Madera, CA, posted net sales of $90.7 million for the third quarter ended Nov. 2, up 20.1 percent from $75.5 million in the same period last year. Comparable store sales increased 14.8 percent. Sales in the direct-to-customer division, which includes catalog and Internet, skyrocketed 66.2 percent for the quarter.
Casual Male Retail Group Inc., Canton, MA, said that total sales were $125.3 million in the third quarter ended Nov. 2 compared with $54.3 million in the corresponding period last year. Casual Male stores, including its catalog sales, contributed $74.8 million, or about 60 percent of the group's total sales in the quarter. The Casual Male business achieved a comparable store sales increase of 0.2 percent in the quarter.For the nine months ended Nov. 2, total sales reached $276.8 million compared with $141.4 million in the corresponding period last year. The Casual Male business contributed $147.6 million, or about 53 percent of the group's sales for the year-to-date period. Since the group acquired the Casual Male business May 14, comparable store sales for this business have posted a 1.9 percent increase.
Geerlings & Wade Inc., Canton, MA, said that sales totaled $6 million in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, down 13 percent from 2001 third-quarter sales of $6.9 million. The company earned $1,000 in net income in the quarter compared with a net loss of $293,000 in third-quarter 2001.
