Chico’s profit up 27%

Fort Meyers, Fla. -- Chico’s FAS said its third-quarter profit rose 27% to $28.8 million from $22.7 million a year ago, driven by higher sales. The results beat analysts projections.



Net sales rose 8.1% to $483 million, from $446.9 million a year ago. Same-store sales rose 3.1%.



Direct-to-consumer sales, which includes online sales and isn’t included in comparable-store sales, increased about 41% to $34.4 million in the quarter.