Bebe sales at stores open at least a year slide 3.4 percent in 4th quarter

Bebe 4Q sales comparison declines 3.4 percent

BRISBANE, Calif. — Women’s clothing retailer Bebe Stores Inc. said Thursday sales in its stores that have been open at least one year fell 3.4 percent in its fiscal fourth quarter.

This is a smaller decline than the 29.6 percent slide in the same period a year earlier.

Total sales for the three months ended July 3 fell 4.4 percent to $119.2 million. Analysts, on average, were expecting higher revenue of $123.2 million.

Sales at stores open at least a year are a key measure of retailer performance because they measure growth at existing stores rather than from newly opened ones.

For the full year, sales in stores open at least a year fell 17.1 percent while total sales fell 17 percent to $481.7 million.