American Apparel December Sales Decrease 6 Percent

Los Angeles-based American Apparel Inc., a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor, and retailer of fashion apparel, announced Thursday its December 2013 sales were 6 percent lower than during the same period a year ago.

On a preliminary basis, total net sales in December were $60.5 million, a statement said.

Comparable sales decreased 6 percent, including a 7 percent decrease in comparable store sales in the retail store channel and a 1 percent decrease in net sales in the online channel, it said.

Wholesale net sales decreased 2 percent for the month. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2013, total net sales increased 3 percent to $633.9 million, with a 3 percent increase in comparable sales and a 4 percent increase in wholesale net sales.

American Apparel Chairman and CEO Dov Charney cited a compressed holiday shopping season as a reason for the lower sales.

He also cited the "under-buying of some of our strongest selling items for the season because our management team was intensely distracted during the implementation of our new distribution center, which is now successfully completed."