An earlier Easter made for a strong March and weak April for Foothill Ranch-based mall retailer Wet Seal Inc.
The company said Thursday that sales at stores open at least a year fell 6.1% last month, beyond the 2.5% drop analysts were looking for on average.
The decline came after a 6.3% gain in same-store sales in March, boosted by the fall of Easter on April 4, which shifted shopping traditionally seen before the holiday to the end of March.
The company operates 501 clothing stores, made up of 422 Wet Seal stores for teen girls and 79 Arden B. stores for young women.
Total April sales for Wet Seal feel 4.7% percent to $39 million.
Even with a disappointing April, Wet Seal upped its profit outlook range for the three months through last month.
It said it now sees a profit of $4.85 million to $5.82 million, excluding costs related to converted debt and preferred shares to common stock.
Wet Seal earlier forecast a profit of $3.9 million to $4.85 million.
The company is due to report results for the three months through April on May 20.
