Brown Shoe posts record results
US-based footwear company Brown Shoe Company, Inc. has reported record results for the third quarter of fiscal 2006 ended October 28. Net sales increased 9.6% to $676.81 million from $617.67 million in the comparable quarter in 2005.
Net earnings reached $26.9 million, versus $19.77 million in the year-ago period.
In the company’s Retail Division, total sales at Famous Footwear rose 11.7% to $366.28 million for the quarter, versus $328.06 million for the same 13-week period last year. Same-store sales for the period rose 8.2%. According to the company sales were led by strong performances in the women's and children's categories, while athletics grew 3.9% on a store-for-store basis.
The company’s Specialty Retail segment, which includes Naturalizer, F.X. LaSalle, Via Spiga, Franco Sarto, other concept stores, and the Shoes.com e-commerce business, reported sales of $68.19 million, an increase of 8% over last year's $63.13 million.
In the Wholesale Division, wholesale sales increased 7% to $242.33 million, versus $226.4 million last year. This increase was attributed to higher sales of the Naturalizer, Children's, and Dr. Scholl's brands.
For the first nine months, the company’s overall net sales increased 8.2% to $1,831.66 million, compared with $1,692.44 million in the first nine months last year. Net earnings reached $52.13 million, compared with $27.63 million.
Brown Shoe is a $2.3 billion footwear company with global operations.
The company operates the Famous Footwear chain; it also operates approximately 300 specialty retail stores in the
