Direct sales, which amounted to $16 million, or 3.9%, of Chico’s FAS’s first-quarter 2008 sales, jumped to just under $22 million, or 5.3% of sales during first-quarter 2009.
Sales from its Chico’s/Soma stores and White House/Black Market stores fell from $393.5 million to $388.7 million during the same period.
The company’s net income ticked up from $12.7 million a year ago to $14.5 million for the quarter just ended.
While direct sales were rising, the company’s marketing expenditures were falling from $22.8 million a year ago to $17.8 million. Chico’s attributed the cut in marketing expenses to “ongoing cost reduction initiatives and reduce dprint advertising in the first quarter of fiscal 2009.” The quarter ended May 3.
Chico’s FAS specializes in women’s apparel.
