Urban Outfitters' Net Sales Flounder in the First Quarter

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Urban Outfitters' first quarter net sales were down 4.2% to $398 million, reports WWD. "BFD," you say, but over at Anthropologie and Free People, two other brands under the URBN Inc. company umbrella, net sales were up 11.7% and 25.7%, respectively.

So what's behind Urban Outfitters' floundering sales? Could it be that shoppers are growing weary of the Philly-based brands distasteful (read: racist) antics (see exhibits A and B)? Perhaps, but CEO Richard Hayne has different scapegoats in mind, including inclement weather and a struggle to resonate with the brand's target consumer: "Sales correlate directly with fashion hits and misses, and I believe the Urban brand has had fewer hits than normal," he says.
· Flagship Division Still a Challenge for Urban Outfitters [WWD]
· Controversy Puts Urban Outfitters' New Lifestyle Center on Pause [Racked Philly]
· Urban Outfitters to Launch Fitness Brand—But Not in Philly [Racked Philly]