A 28% improvement in net income to $37,885,000 from $29,612,000 finished the year, as sales increased 8% in the final quarter to $328,754,000 from $304,564,000 on a +6.4% comp over a +3.9% comp the prior year. Hardgoods, and especially skateboarding, was the strongest category in Q4, followed by men’s, accessories and footwear, but women’s comped down. Sales are increasingly concentrated with the top-20 brands, it noted, and private label sales have declined. Transactions and dollars per transaction increased, on higher units per transaction, but with a decrease in AUR.

North American sales grew 8% $280.9 million, while international sales at Blue ... Log in to view full article.