July sales fall for West Marine
WATSONVILLE, Calif. – West Marine, Inc. reported that its net sales for the four weeks ended July 31 were $71.8 million, a 5.6-percent decrease compared to net sales of $76.1 million for the same four-week period a year ago, the retailer said in a release yesterday afternoon.
Comparable store net sales for July decreased 9.5 percent compared to the same period a year ago.
But the company said its net sales for the 30 weeks ended July 31 were $453.6 million, an increase of 7.9 percent over net sales of $420.2 million for the same period a year ago. Comparable store net sales for the latest 30 weeks also increased (3.2 percent) compared to the same period a year ago.
“As we mentioned last month, consumer demand has softened recently, impacting our sales across the country much as it has other retailers,” said John Edmondson, CEO of West Marine. “However, our gross margin continues to exceed expectations nicely.”
Edmondson said comparable store sales by region for July showed a 15.1-percent decrease in the Northeast, a 4.3-percent drop in the Southeast and a 4.1-percent decline on the West Coast.
Poor weather in the Northeast and parts of the mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes areas during July also contributed to the poor sales results in the Northeast according to Edmondson.
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