Rebel Sport Limited, the largest sporting goods and outdoor equipment retailer in Australia, reported annual sales increased 3.8% to A$316.9 million ($238.9 mm). This increase came in spite of a missing week in fiscal calendar year 2005. Comparing year-on-year sales with the same number of weeks, Rebel would have reported a 5.7% increase in sales. With the same number of days for the year on a comp-store basis, sales increased by 0.8%.

For the fourth quarter of 2005, on a same number of days basis, sales increased by 7.8%. In the fourth quarter with the same number of days on a comp-store basis, sales increased by 2.5%.

Stephen Heath, managing director of Rebel, said that athletic footwear continues to struggle in the Australian market and the spike in sales last year for the Rugby World Cup made year-on-year comparisons difficult. He also stated that the company’s inventory management has been “going well” in spite of slower than expected sales growth.