Retail Ventures 4Q sales down

COLUMBUS, Ohio Retail Ventures reported that net sales for the fourth quarter ended Feb. 2 decreased 1.5% to $452 million from $458.9 million for the same period last year. The company's same-store sales decreased 0.1% for the comparable thirteen-week period.

By segment, total sales for DSW for the fourth quarter ended Feb. 2 were $332,520 compared with $329,052 for the same period last year and Filene's Basement sales for the quarter were $119,513 compared with $129,835 last year. Comparable-store sales for DSW were down 1.7% and up 4.8% at Filene's Basement.

The loss from continuing operations for the quarter was $9 million, or 19 cents per share on a diluted basis, compared to a loss from continuing operations of $40.6 million, or 86 cents per share on a diluted basis last year.