Both Tillys and Pacific Sunwear of California slightly lowered their Q4 guidance following a more promotional-than-planned holiday season.

Tillys indicated comps, which include e-commerce sales decreased 1 percent in the ten weeks ended Jan. 5, compared to a 5 percent increase for the same period last year. The company now expects Q4 adjusted earnings of 29 to 30 cents per share. On Nov 20, in reporting third-quarter results, it predicted earnings ranging between 33 and 36 cents a share.

Our quarter-to-date sales reflect strong comparable store sales results in the peak weekend of Black Friday/Cyber Monday and in late December/early January, with soft traffic and sales in between, said Daniel Griesemer, president and CEO, in a statement. We have exited the holiday season with our inventory well positioned, having maintained our strong pricing discipline and brand integrity. We transition into Spring with complete confidence in our business model and remain focused on long-term quality growth.

PacSuns same-store sales inched up 1 percent on a continuing operations basis in its fourth quarter through Jan. 6. The surf-themed retailers margins also came in lower than previously projected.

Its gross margin percentage for the fourth quarter to be in the range of 21 percent to 22 percent, which represents an increase of approximately 200 to 300 basis points over the same period a year ago. This compares to previous guidance of 22 percent to 25 percent. Based on this gross margin trend, the non-GAAP loss per share from continuing operations is now expected to be at the lower end of its previously announced guidance range of 9 cents to 17 cents a share. That still marks improvement from a loss of 20 cents per share in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011.

“A shift in holiday traffic toward the end of December resulted in a greater proportion of sales during the peak promotional period versus what we had planned,” said Gary Schoenfeld, PacSuns president and CEO. “Overall, we continue to be encouraged by our results as we are on track to complete both the quarter and the year with positive comparable store sales, higher margins, continued leverage of our cost base, and improved inventory productivity, all of which are contributing to substantial improvement in our pre-tax operating results.”