U.S. Postal Service Launches Service Performance Dashboard

For the Three Months Ended October 2, 2021 -Net sales increased 23% to $362.6 million, compared to $294.6 million during the same period last year. -Gross profit increased 19% to $207.0 million, or 57.1% of net sales, compared to $174.0 million, or 59.1% of net sales, in the third quarter of 2020. The 200 basis point decrease in gross margin was primarily driven by higher inbound freight rates and the unfavorable impact of the non-renewal of the Global System of Preferences (“GSP”) program on import duties, partially offset by product cost improvements and all other impacts. -Operating income decreased 2% to $68.7 million, or 19.0% of net sales, compared to $70.1 million, or 23.8% of net sales, during the prior year quarter due to the aforementioned lower spending levels in 2020.

Mail order and publishing executives once followed every hiccup within the U.S. Postal Service. Their businesses depended on it. Those days aren’t over for publishers, judging by an article that appeared last week in The Washington Post. Periodical rates could leap by 8% on Aug. 29, a potentially devastating hit to struggling community newspapers, forcing them to reduce staffs and distribution, critics say. Such a hike could be the tipping point for survival for those publishers, Paul Boyle, senior vice president at the News Media Alliance, told WaPo. However, the USPS contends the impact will not be that serious.

Urban Outfitters, Inc. announced net income of $1 million and $108 million for the three months and year ended January 31, 2018, respectively. Earnings per diluted share were $0.01 and $0.96 for the three months and year ended January 31, 2018, respectively. For the three months ended January 31, 2018, adjusted net income was $75 million and adjusted earnings per diluted share were $0.69. Total Company net sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 increased 5.7% over the same period last year to a record $1.09 billion. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 4%, driven by strong, double-digit growth in the digital channel partially offset by negative retail store sales. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 8% at Free People, 5% at the Anthropologie Group and 2% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales increased 6.3%. For the year ended January 31, 2018, total Company net sales increased to $3.6 billion or 2.0% over the prior year. Comparable Retail segment net sales were flat. Wholesale segment net sales increased 9.5%. Click Read More below for additional information.