American Apparel Announces Comparable Store Sales Increased 24%

American Apparel

, a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor, and retailer of branded fashion basic apparel, announced preliminary comparable sales for the period August 1, 2012 through August 28, 2012, and reported that comparable store sales increased 24%, including a 24% increase in comparable store sales for its retail store channel and a 19% increase in net sales for its online channel. "August will represent our 15th consecutive month of positive comparable sales, and will be the largest sales increase reported in nearly four years,” said Dov Charney, Chairman and Chief Executive of American Apparel, Inc. “This performance was companywide: double digit sales growth across almost all major markets and product categories. However, there is still significant low-hanging fruit for us to exploit in order to further improve store productivity. Near term, we're focused on the implementation of tighter inventory management systems through our RFID program, store renovations, installation of traffic counters, and the completion of our new distribution center to improve the speed and accuracy of shipments to stores. Each of these programs will bring measurable improvements in overall store productivity.”