Q2 web sales rise at Talbots 40% year-over-year

Web sales at apparel retailer The Talbots Inc. rose 40% for the second quarter ended July 30 to $24.9 million, up from $17.8 million a year ago, the company said today. Total sales rose 12% to $449.6 million, while comp store sales rose 6.7%.

Web sales rose as a percentage of overall sales in Q2 to 5.5%, up from 4.4% in the year-ago quarter.

Combined Q2 web and catalog sales rose 16% to $60.8 million, up from $52.5 million in the year-ago quarter.

“The Internet has just been outstanding for us, and has been since day one when we launched online in November 1999,” a spokeswoman says. “It’s a combination of people finding us on the web and being more comfortable shopping online.”

Talbots operates Talbots.com, 1,071 stores and a catalog with worldwide circulation of 48 million.