Descente, the Japaneses maker of snowsports, golf and other sporting apparel, posted a healthy high-single-digit increase in sales in the second quarter ended Sept. 30. Fiscal second quarter revenues increased 7.0 percent to ¥23.47 billion ($302 mm) from ¥21.99 billion ($256 mm) in the year-ago period.
SG&A expenses, which expanded 290 basis points to 40.2 percent of sales, were offset by a 300 basis point improvement in gross margin to 50.4 percent of sales versus 47.4 percent of sales in the year-ago period. Fiscal second quarter operating income was up 7.0 percent to ¥2.39 billion ($31 mm), but net income declined 8.1 percent to ¥1.44 billion ($19 mm) from ¥1.57 billion ($18 mm) in the year-ago period.
Inventories at quarter-end were up 13.0 percent to ¥12.99 billion ($170 mm).
In addition to its own brand, Descente distributes Cutter & Buck, Lecoq Sportif, Marmot, Munsingwear and Umbro in Japan.
