Revenues at the Cross Optical Group (COG), which owns the Costa and Native eyewear brands, increased 8.0 percent to $19.5 million in the third quarter, according to parent company A.T. Cross Company. The performance helped offset declining sales at the Cross Accessory Division (CAD), where revenue slipped 7.2 percent due largely to a 15 percent decline in sales in Europe.


“The Cross Optical Group continued to perform well and is expected to grow revenue 13 percent and deliver more than 15 percent operating margin in the full year 2012,” said David G. Whalen, president and CEO for A.T. Cross. “The Cross Accessory Division, however, despite growth in the Americas and Asia was challenged in the European markets.”


Bookings for new Costa and Native lines that will arrive in stores in December are running well ahead of year ago levels, putting COG on pace to reach $100 million in revenue in 2014.


Costa has added more than 600 doors in 2012, primarily in Texas, the Rockies, and the Northeast. Growth in these key markets is outpacing overall sales growth by approximately 50 percent. Dick's Sporting Goods, Dillard’s, and Hibbett Sports have all added a significant number of doors in 2012. Much of Costa’s focus in 2012 has been on increasing sales to women. About 20 percent of Costa’s unit sales during the quarter were in women specific styles. 


Native has increased its overall door count this year by 5 percent, with much of the growth coming from expanded tests by Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Native is already distributed in all 125 Gander Mountain doors and over 60 Academy Sports doors.


Whalen said supply chain issue that interrupted deliveries of many key Native styles from May through July were resolved in the third quarter, when fulfillment rates returned to the 95 percent level.