Urban Outfitters Lost in Fashion's Jungle

Updated from 7:18 a.m. EST

Urban Outfitters (URBN) recently found itself in the fashion jungle.

The trendy teen-apparel retailer, which in addition to its namesake stores also owns the Anthropologie chain, reported a 31% jump in fourth-quarter profits Thursday. But the company offered a note of caution about its ability to steer through a dramatic shift that it said took place in women's fashions late last year.

On a conference call with analysts, Urban Outfitters Chairman, President and Chief Executive Richard Hayne said the company might have some "issues" in its current first quarter, but he said management is focused on harnessing fashion trends for the long term.

"It's a very, very turbulent time in the fashion cycle," Hayne said.

Glen Senk, the director and president of the retailer's Anthropologie division, took responsibility for some "inventory snafus" that took place recently at the chain. He said its stores looked "rough," and he became focused on clearing out excess merchandise by slashing prices. The promotional activity hurt sales.

Meanwhile, Hayne said the company's other divisions faced similar challenges.

"We're all trying to navigate through these changes," he said. "It's not an easy thing to do."

In a press release, the company quantified some of the recent weakness in its sales results.

"February, the first month in our new fiscal year, was a weak month for our stores, but strong for our direct businesses,'' it said. "We remain cautious about our overall business until we navigate through the seismic shift in women's fashion that occurred late last year and customer feedback becomes more consistent. Thus far during the quarter, sales in comparable stores are running below our plan and the previous year, while the direct and wholesale businesses are running nicely ahead."

Shares of Urban Outfitters recently were down $1.11, or 4.4%, to $24.30.