A 21% decline in direct marketing sales contributed to a 17% falloff for the Spiegel Group in November.
Total sales fell to $225.2 million, compared with $306.7 million during the same four-week period last year.
The biggest drop, 21%, was suffered by the firm’s Spiegel division. Newport News’ sales fell by 17%, and Eddie Bauer’s by 15%.
Catalog sales fell by 27%, but this decline was partially offset by a 15% increase in e-commerce sales.
The firm warned that fourth-results are expected to fall below previous projections. The quarter, which includes the holiday selling season, normally produces 35% of Spiegel’s revenue.
In reporting a $12. million third-quarter loss in October, Spiegel said it was plagued by declining finance revenue and weak sales.
