BabyUniverse Q1 sales jump 108%

BabyUniverse Inc. more than doubled net sales in the first quarter. In Q1, BabyUniverse, No. 235 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide to Retail Web Sites, reported net sales of $9.5 million, an increase of 108.8% from sales of $4.5 million for Q1 2005.

The net loss for Q1 was $197,000 vs. a net loss of $97,000 for the same quarter in 2005. The company says its net loss increased as a result of expenses related to consolidation. BabyUniverse has leased a 9,700-square-foot office facility in Jupiter, FL, that will consolidate Florida senior management offices and allow for the closure this month of the company’s existing office, warehouse and call center facility in Ft. Lauderdale. Substantially all e-commerce functions previously based in Florida will be consolidated with the expanding operations of PoshTots.com in Richmond, VA, by the end of the month. Other consolidation efforts also are occurring in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Georgianne Brown, BabyUniverse executive vice president of marketing, will speak at the Internet Retailer 2006 Conference & Exhibition in a session titled Search Engine Marketing: The No. 1 Online Marketing Tool.