
Coach Tops Street as Sales Rise
NEW YORK (
) --
Coach's
(COH)
lower-priced handbag line is starting to pay off, as sales increased slighlty in the first quarter.
But profit continued to decline, falling 3% to $140.8 million, or 44 cents a share, compared with $145.8 million, or 44 cents, last year. Still, that surpassed analysts' forecasts of a 39-cent profit.
Revenue inched up 1% to $761.4 million, as sales in North American stores jumped 8%. The company also saw strength in China, a market Coach entered last year.
The luxury brand introduced its lower-priced Poppy collection this summer. With those products, 50% of Coach's handbags are now priced under $300, compared with 30% last year.
-Reported by Jeanine Poggi in New York.
Follow TheStreet.com on
and become a fan on
Copyright 2009 TheStreet.com Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.