Garmin Ltd. reported net sales of its Outdoor segment reached $66.5 million during the first quarter ended March 26, up 11.9 percent from a year earlier, while sales in its Fitness segment jumped 30.0 percent to $56.4 million.


The quarter marked the first period in which Garmin broke out its Outdoor and Fitness segments separately. By comparison, net sales at the company’s Marine, Aviation and Auto/Mobile segments grew 24,5 and 20 percent respectively.


Chairman and CEO Dr. Min Kao said the company’s GPSMAP 62, a high-end handheld product, and its Astro dog tracking system performed well globally in the Outdoor segment. The Fitness segment experienced strong demand for high-end cycling products, particularly in Europe. Garmin Fitness continues to focus on leadership in the GPS running watch category with the release of the Forerunner 610. “We anticipate strong demand for this product based upon the enthusiasm we saw at the Boston Marathon in April,” said Kao.


The company said revenues in North America rose 15 percent to $280 million. In Europe, net sales reached $171 million, up 18 percent. In Asia, revenues were $57 million, up 34 percent.
Gross margins in the Outdoor and Fitness segments reached 62 percent and 60.0 percent respectively. The Outdoor segment generated operating income of $24.8 million, down 1.8 percent. Operating income at the Fitness segment reached $15.5 million, up 8.9 percent.