The struggling retailer’s bottom line swung to an $8,852,000 loss in the final quarter, from income of $1,728,000, as sales dropped 18% to $196,350,000 from $238,312,000, in line with Jan.’s pre-announcement. Comps were down 17.7%. The poor results were blamed on lower consumer discretionary spending, combined with unseasonably warm temperatures and sparse snowfall in the chain’s Western U.S. footprint. Winter sports gear sales across categories was down nearly 40%. Apparel declined 30%, footwear dropped 17%, and hardgoods fell 11%.

Transactions for the quarter were down mid-teens, and the average ticket declined low-single ... Log in to view full article.