San Francisco-based specialty gift retailer RedEnvelope Inc., founded in 1997
under the name 911gifts.com, said it has achieved profitability on an EBITDA
basis for its fiscal third quarter ending Dec. 31.
The privately held catalog and e-tail company, which relaunched under its
current name in 1999, said holiday sales were good with gross merchandising
margins of over 50 percent
Although earnings specifics were not disclosed, the company said it expects
revenues for fiscal 2002 ending March 31, 2002 to reach $50 million, up 67
percent from last year, and is on track to be profitable for fiscal 2003.
The company, named for an Asian tradition of presenting gifts in a simple red
envelope, said that its catalog offerings drove more than half of its sales
last year, and had a circulation of approximately six million.
“After a sluggish November, RedEnvelope experienced extraordinary
post-Thanksgiving sales momentum, which resulted in two ‘million’ dollar days
in December,” said Martin McClanan, CEO. “This strong consumer demand came
with minimal discounting, contrary to the industry trend of promotions this
holiday season.”
Gifts purchased from RedEnvelope are accompanied by a personalized message in
a red envelope. Merchandise includes jewelry, gift baskets, personal care
products, holiday-oriented gifts, gadgets and tools, and wine and cigars,
among other things.