Eddie Bauer Swings to 4Q Loss

Loss for the quarter ended Dec. 29 totaled $18.2 million, or 59 cents per share, compared with a profit of $101.7 million, or $2.11 per share, last year.

Revenue rose 3 percent to $392.4 million from $381.9 million last year. Same-store sales rose 4.8 percent. Same-store sales, or sales in stores open at least one year, is a key gauge of retail performance because it measures growth at existing stores rather than newly opened ones. Retail same-store sales rose 8.6 percent, while outlet same-store sales fell 1.9 percent.

Neil Fiske, company chief executive, said in a statement that quarterly sales were "solid" but there is more to be done. Fiske, who started in June, has been working to turn the company around, including revamping merchandise and cutting costs.

"We must do better on our costs and inventory management in order to flow through more of the sales gain to the bottom line," he said in a statement.

For the year, the company's net loss narrowed to $101.7 million, or $3.33 per share, compared with a loss of $212 million, or $7.06 per share, last year.

Revenue rose 3 percent to $1.04 billion from $1.01 billion a year ago.