Eddie Bauer’s loss widens

Seattle Despite cost-saving initiatives, Eddie Bauer Holdings late Thursday reported a net loss of $44.5 million for the quarter ended April 4, compared with a loss of $19.3 million for the same period a year ago.

The retailer’s revenue also tumbled 16% to $179.8 million, and same-store sales decreased 11.3%.

"The first quarter was a difficult one, as the sharp downturn in the economy took its toll on our sales,” said Neil Fiske, president and CEO. “We continued to focus on cost cutting and cash-flow management, which helped mitigate the impact of lower sales."