Sales & Earnings In Brief
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Alberto Culver Q3: U.S. sales increased 12.7% in the third quarter to $248.6 mil., driven by "effective marketing, promotional activity and shelf space gains in hair care," and recovery from supply chain disruptions, CEO James Marino reports during the firm's third quarter earnings call July 26. TRESemme sales grew double digits, benefiting from new products, while Nexxus also generated strong sales, the exec said. Alberto VO5 sales decreased due to distribution losses at a key customer. TRESemme and St. Ives fueled an increase in advertising spend, which advanced 20.1%; the firm boosted marketing in support of the recent acquisition of the Simple hair care brand in the UK (1"The Rose Sheet" Dec. 21, 2009). International sales advanced 29% to $169 mil., primarily reflecting foreign currency fluctuations, acquisitions and divestitures. Net sales for the quarter were $417.6 mil., up 18.8% over the prior year. Excluding foreign currency fluctuations and acquisitions and divestitures, sales increased 10.7%. Net earnings were up 69% to $47.2 mil