Saks Q2 misses as loss widens

New York -- Saks Inc. on Monday reported a worse than expected second-quarter loss amid disappointing sales of shoes and handbags.

Saks, which last month reached a deal to be acquired by Canada's Hudson's Bay Co., had a net loss of $19.6 million for the quarter ended Aug. 3, compared with a net loss of $12.3 million a year earlier.

Overall sales rose 0.5% to $707.8 million for the quarter. Same-store sales rose 1.5%, below the 4.5% increase analysts had expected.

“While the second quarter was our fourteenth consecutive quarter of posting a comparable store sales increase, our sales growth was modestly below our expectations,” Stephen I. Sadove, chairman and CEO, noted.

Saks' gross margin fell because it had built up too much inventory of men's and women's shoes and handbags and had to slash prices to clear unsold merchandise.