Sales & Earnings In Brief

Parlux sales up in Q3: Roughly one week after announced resignation of Chairman and CEO Neil J. Katz "due to philosophical differences regarding the future of the company," Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based fragrance marketer books 6% increase in fiscal third-quarter sales to $50.3 mil., led by Queen Latifah and Marc Ecko scents. However, firm experienced a loss of $5.4 mil. for the quarter, compared with a $4.5 mil. loss in the comparable period of last year. Losses were attributed to "heavy investment" in U.S. department stores and lower consumer spending. Department store sales of its fragrances were down 30% in Q3, firm says. Parlux's board of directors has appointed company founder Frederick E. Purches chairman and interim CEO.

LVMH posts 2009 results: Parisian luxury goods firm Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton reports "return to growth" for its perfumes and cosmetics business in fourth quarter, with 2% organic revenue growth. Sales totaled €2.7 bil., or roughly $3.7 bil., for LVMH's 2009 fiscal year, down 4% from 2008. Profits in the category reached €291 mil. ($397.7), inching up 0.3% from prior year. Christian Dior unit gained market share on performances from J'Adore , Miss Dior Cherie , Eau Sauvage and Diorskin Nude . Guerlain booked gains in "priority markets" and has seen a "promising start" for new perfume Idylle , while Play and Ange ou Demon Le Secret perfumes drove sales for Parfums Givenchy. LVMH says its specialty-retailer Sephora saw revenue growth and greater profits in all markets.

Nu Skin optimistic about ageLOC: Firm's ageLOC anti-aging skin-care system introduced in some markets in the latter part of 2009 - and rolling out globally on an accelerated timeline - has been "very successful" and is expected to generate more sales in its first 12 months than any other product in company history, CEO Truman Hunt notes in Feb. 4 earnings release. Full-year revenue for fiscal 2009 totaled $1.3 bil., up 6.7% from 2008, setting a company record, while fourth-quarter revenue increased 19% to $378.1 mil., versus the prior-year quarter, impacted by favorable currency conditions, Provo, Utah firm reports. Earnings nearly doubled in the fourth quarter to $30.3 mil., up from $14.5 mil. in the same period last year. For the year, earnings jumped 34.5% to $89.8 mil.

Sally quarterly sales break $700 mil.: Sally Beauty Holdings records $704.9 mil. in net sales for first fiscal quarter of 2010, an increase of 9.2% from the comparable quarter last year. It marks the first time Sally has exceeded $700 mil., though Denton, Texas company acknowledges that positive foreign exchange rates increased sales 1.3%. Same-store sales grew 3.8% in the quarter. Profit reached $26.1 mil., a 62.7% jump from the prior-year period.