An Evansville-based shoe retailer is moving ahead with plans to open 32 new stores, despite a soft earnings report.
Shoe Carnival says net sales increased $5.7 million compared to sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2013. Net sales rose to about $222 million.
But the retailer is reporting second quarter earnings of $2.6 million, compared to $5.8 million the year before.
Shoe Carnival President and CEO Cliff Sifford says in a news release that the second quarter proved challenging “as store traffic remained soft and consumers shopped closer to need.”
The Evansville-based retailer opened 16 new stores during the quarter, including locations in two new major markets – Miami and Buffalo, NY.
The company also added two stores in Puerto Rico.