Higher Web Sales Fail to Offset Lands' End Drop

Though first-quarter sales via its Internet site nearly doubled the same period last year, Lands' End reported an 8.1% decline in net sales for the quarter overall. The Dodgeville, Wisc.-based cataloger and e-retailer of casual apparel attributed the dip to its discontinued Willis & Geiger business, weakness in its kids' division, disappointing results of prospecting catalogs and later mailings of certain key catalogs. The decline sent earnings per share down sharply from 16 cents to 1 cent.