PEMBROKE PINES, Fla., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Claire's Stores,
Inc. (NYSE: CLE) today reported that for the five weeks ended February 3,
2007 comparable store sales increased three percent compared to the five
week period last year that ended on February 4, 2006 when comparable store
sales rose by eight percent. Comparable store sales for the four weeks
ended January 28, 2006 rose by 9%. Total sales during the five week period
ended February 3, 2007 increased 39 percent to $114,066,000 compared with
$81,856,000 for the four week period ending January 28, 2006, which
comprised the "month" of January last year. January 2007 benefited from a
53rd week of selling, which contributed $22.8 million or 20 percent of
January's total sales.
Comparable store sales results for January 2007 compared to January
2006 were as follows:
* Claire's North America: positive low single digits
* Claire's International: positive mid single digits
* Icing by Claire's: positive mid single digits
Please note that our comparable store sales numbers are calculated in
local currencies. Total sales numbers give effect to the impact of foreign
exchange. January comparable store sales have been computed using the
results of weeks 49-53 in Fiscal 2007 compared against weeks 49-52 in
Fiscal 2006 and week 1 of Fiscal 2007.
Sales for the fourth fiscal quarter ended February 3, 2007 increased 14
percent to $472,180,000 from $414,743,000 during last year's comparable
fiscal quarter. Comparable store sales increased one percent following an
increase of six percent during last year's fourth fiscal quarter.
For Fiscal 2007 in its entirety, sales increased eight percent to
$1,480,664,000 compared to sales of $1,369,752,000 for the comparable
period last year. Comparable store sales increased one percent compared to
an increase of six percent during Fiscal 2006.
Bonnie Schaefer and Marla Schaefer, Co-Chairmen and Co-CEO's jointly
stated that, "From a comparable store sales perspective, our business in
January exhibited greater vitality than in either November or December of
this year's fourth fiscal quarter. We attribute a portion of this
improvement to the impact of gift cards, which shifted into January some
sales that in year's past would have been recorded in December. We are also
pleased by the very early response to our new spring line, which is full of
color and gives our customers just the pick up they need in the
post-holiday season."
CLAIRE'S STORES, INC.
(Monthly Sales in 000's)
TOTAL COMP. STORE
REPORTING PERIOD FY 2007 FY 2006 CHANGE CHANGE
February $90,939 $88,139 3% 4%
March $116,666 $119,692 -3 % -3%
April $104,251 $94,877 10% 9%
May $102,562 $94,593 8% 4%
June $132,514 $124,336 7% 2%
July $114,049 $106,113 7% 2%
August $116,774 $110,728 5% 1%
September $125,508 $116,366 8% 1%
October $105,221 $100,165 5% -1%
November $110,278 $101,433 9% 0%
December $247,836 $231,454 7% 0%
January $114,066 $81,856 39% 3%
Year-to-Date $1,480,664 $1,369,752 8% 1%
Company Overview
Claire's Stores, Inc. is a leading international specialty retailer
offering value-priced costume jewelry and accessories to fashion-aware
tweens, teens and young adult females through its two store concepts:
Claire's and Icing by Claire's. While the latter operates only in North
America, Claire's operates internationally. As of February 3, 2007,
Claire's Stores, Inc. operated approximately 3,000 stores in the United
States, Canada, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the United Kingdom,
Ireland, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Holland
and Belgium. Claire's Stores, Inc. operates through its subsidiary,
Claire's Nippon, Co., Ltd., approximately 195 stores in Japan as a 50:50
joint venture with AEON, Co., Ltd. (fka JUSCO, Co. Ltd.), a $40 billion
specialty retailer headquartered in Japan. The Company also licenses 115
stores in the Middle East and Turkey under a licensing and merchandising
agreement with Al Shaya Co., Ltd. and eight stores in South Africa under
similar agreements with The House of Busby Limited.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" which
represent the Company's expectations or beliefs with respect to future
events. Statements that are not historical are considered forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks
and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those anticipated. Those factors include, without limitation: changes in
consumer preferences and consumer spending for pre-teen, teen and young
adult apparel and accessories; competition; general economic conditions
such as inflation and increased energy costs; general and political social
conditions such as war, political unrest and terrorism; natural disasters
or severe weather events; currency fluctuations and exchange rate
adjustments; changes in laws; uncertainties generally associated with the
specialty retailing business; disruptions in our supply of inventory;
inability to increase comparable store sales at recent historical rates;
inability to design and implement new information systems; delays in
anticipated store openings or renovations; and uncertainty that definitive
financial results may differ from preliminary financial results due to,
among other things, final GAAP adjustments. These and other applicable
risks, cautionary statements and factors that could cause actual results to
differ from the Company's forward-looking statements are included in the
Company's filings with the SEC, specifically as described in the Company's
annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 28, 2006. The
Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward- looking
statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. The historical
results contained in this press release are not necessarily indicative of
the future performance of the Company.
Additional Information:
Note: Other Claire's Stores, Inc. press releases, a corporate profile
and most recent 10-K and 10-Q reports are available via Claire's corporate
website: http://www.clairestores.com. For information about our products
and stores, please go to http://www.claires.com.
SOURCE Claire's Stores, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.clairestores.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/174913.html /
CONTACT:
Marisa F. Jacobs, Esq., Vice President of
Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, Claire's Stores,
Inc., +1-212-594-3127, Fax: +1-212-244-4237,
marisa.jacobs@claires.com
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