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.
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
