Sharper Image continues decline in monthly and Q1 sales reports

Sharper Image Corp., once riding high on Internet sales, continues its slide across all channels in sales reported for April and for the first quarter ended April 30. For April, total sales were down 36% to $21.3 million from $33.1 million a year ago. Internet sales were $3.2 million compared to last April`s $5.3 million, a decrease of 40%.

Total store sales were down 11% to $14.5 million from $16.3 million in the prior April, a decrease of 11 %, while comparable store sales in April also decreased 11%. Total catalog/direct marketing sales, including wholesale, dropped 69% to $3.6 million from last April`s $11.5 million.

For the first quarter, total sales dropped 37% to $65.5 million from $104 million in the year-ago quarter. Internet sales for the first quarter were down 42% to $10 million from $17.2 million, a year ago. Total store sales declined 22% to $44.1 million from $56.8 million a year ago, while comparable store sales for the quarter decreased 22%. Total catalog/direct marketing sales including wholesale dropped 62% to $11.3 million from $30.1 million.

The company did not report financial results. Sharper Image, last year No. 87 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide , has dropped to No. 122 in this year’s rankings.

The web boosted lagging direct sales in April at J. C. Penney Co. Inc. Internet sales jumped approximately 15%, on top of an increase of about 17% last year. Total direct sales decreased 8% in April, below a 1.5% increase last year. Initial guidance for April direct predicted sales to be flat. The retailer, No. 12 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, says direct sales continue to be affected by softness in home categories, which represent a majority of the direct channel’s volume.

Total department store sales for the retail chain decreased 2.7% for the four weeks ended May 5 while comparable department store sales decreased 4.7%. Sales for March and April were distorted, the company says, by the shift of Easter into March this year as well as shifts in the retailer’s fiscal calendar due to last year’s 53rd week. Combining March and April, total department store sales increased 5.6% and comparable store sales increased 3.3% for the nine weeks ended May 5.