Highlights of
Zale’s holiday sales statement (combined months of November and December):

• Comparable store
  sales: up 8.5 percent
• Total revenues:
  $533.1 million, up 8 percent

• November same
  store sales: up 11.5 percent
• December same
  store sales: up 7.4 percent

• U.S. fine
  jewelry brands (consisting of Zales Jewelers, Zales Outlet, and Gordon’s
  Jewelers) store sales: up 7.5 percent
• Canadian fine
  jewelry brands (consisting of Peoples Jewellers and Mappins Jewellers) same
  store sales: up 15.6 percent
• Kiosk jewelry
  same store sales: up 4.2 percent

For more
information on Zale’s financial statement, click here.

In related news, the New York Post reported that Zale is in “advanced talks” to sell the Piercing Pagoda chain for between $100 and $150 million to Apollo Management, owner of retailer Claire’s. A decision is expected by the end of the month, the newspaper reported. 

JCK