Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Announces a 4.8% Increase in 2012 Holiday Sales and Reiterates Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year Financial Guidance
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM) today announced that net revenues for
the nine-week holiday period (October 29, 2012 - December 30, 2012)
increased 4.8% to $1.014 billion versus the comparable last year
nine-week holiday period ended January 1, 2012. Comparable brand
revenues increased 4.4%.
Laura Alber, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Our
holiday performance reflects the strength of our brands in a period of
consumer uncertainty and intense promotional activity across the retail
industry. As our overall financial performance was within our range of
expectations for the holiday period, we are reiterating the financial
guidance we provided for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2012 in our
November 14, 2012 earnings release. We will discuss our performance in
detail during our fourth quarter and fiscal year 2012 earnings call in
March.”
Alber concluded, “Looking forward to fiscal 2013, we will continue to
focus on our strategies to drive sustainable, profitable growth and
increase shareholder value by growing our existing brands, developing
new businesses, and expanding globally, including the opening of our
first Australian stores. We will discuss our strategies and financial
outlook for 2013 during our earnings call in March.”
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they do not
fully materialize or prove incorrect, could cause our results to differ
materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating
to our fourth quarter and fiscal year 2012 guidance and our strategies
for fiscal 2013. The risks and uncertainties that could cause our
results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements include the risk that we are not able to meet
our guidance or execute our strategies as expected. Other risks and
uncertainties are described more fully in our public announcements,
reports to stockholders and other documents filed with or furnished to
the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended January 29, 2012, and all subsequent quarterly reports on Form
10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. All forward-looking statements in
this press release are based on information available to us as of the
date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking
statements.
ABOUT WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a specialty retailer of high-quality products
for the home. These products, representing eight distinct merchandise
strategies – Williams-Sonoma (cookware
and wedding
registry), Pottery Barn (furniture
and wedding
registry), Pottery Barn Kids (kids’
furniture and baby
registry), PBteen (girls’
bedding and boys’
bedding), West Elm (modern
furniture and room
decor), Williams-Sonoma Home (luxury
furniture and decorative
accessories), Rejuvenation (lighting
and hardware)
and Mark and Graham (personalized
gifts and gifts
for the home) – are marketed through 584 stores, eight direct mail
catalogs and seven e-commerce websites. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. currently
operates in the United States and Canada, offers international shipping
to customers worldwide, and franchises its brands throughout Bahrain,
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.