Vitamin Shoppe Q4 profit up 3%, hurt by Superstorm Hurricane

North Bergen, N.J. -- Vitamin Shoppe Inc. said Tuesday its fourth-quarter net income rose 3% to $9.7 million, up from $9.4 million in the year-ago period.



Revenue rose 2% in the quarter ended Dec. 29, to $218.9 million from $214.9 million. Same-store sales rose 5.2%. Online sales grew 13%. The company said that its sales growth was partially offset by the impact of Superstorm Sandy, which negatively impacted comparable sales by 1.6%. Also, when compared with the same period in the prior year, the chain’s fourth quarter had one less selling week.



Vitamin Shoppe opened 15 stores during the quarter, including its first two in Canada, bringing its store count to 579.



Vitamin Shoppe plans to open about 50 new stores this year, compared with 54 in 2012.



For the full year, profit rose 35% to $60.8 million. Revenue increased 11% to $950.9 million.