Ritz Interactive grows web sales 37% in Q4 to $36 million

Web sales at Ritz Interactive Inc. grew 37% year over year during the fourth quarter of 2006 and 20% for the year, the retailer reported today.

For the quarter, revenue grew to $36.4 million from $26.5 million in the same three month period of 2005. Annual merchandise revenue for 2006 rose to $99.5 million, compared with $83.2 million in 2005. Ritz is No. 102 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide.

Ritz Interactive president and CEO Fred H. Lerner attributes the sales increase to continued strong consumer demand for digital single-lens reflex cameras, the addition of thousands of new consumer electronics products, strong corporate sales and attractive holiday promotions, including those with Google Checkout and PayPal.

“Much of our recent revenue growth is from customers upgrading their entry-level point-and-shoot digital cameras to the new, more sophisticated digital single-lens reflex cameras,” Lerner says. “Additional growth is attributed to our continued expansion into the consumer electronics, home office and corporate business.” Lerner is speaking at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition, June 4-7 in San Jose, in a session entitled The Scotch Boutique: The Web Is Made for Niche Retailing.

Ritz Interactive operates an e-commerce network that includes RitzCamera.com, WolfCamera.com, and BoatersWorld.com.