Idaho retailer plans to offer sportswear line

SANDPOINT – Coldwater Creek Inc. announced the launch of a women’s sportswear line Wednesday, along with improved second quarter earnings.

The Sandpoint retailer reported net income of $3.4 million, or 8 cents a share, for the three-month period ending July 31. Coldwater Creek experienced a loss of $1.4 million, or 4 cents a share, for the same period in 2003.

“This is the best summer season in the company’s history,” Chairman Dennis Pence told analysts during a conference call.

Sales from retail stores were particularly strong, generating half of the company’s $236 million in revenue during the first six months of the fiscal year.

Retail stores are the newest of Coldwater Creek’s sales outlets, following catalogs and the Internet. As the result of the strong in-store sales, Coldwater Creek will increase the number of retail outlets it opens this year to 49, giving the company 115 stores by the holiday season, Pence said.

In other news, the company announced that it will unveil a new line of sportswear before the Labor Day weekend.

The line will feature clothing versatile enough for a “serious workout or a relaxed morning stroll,” said Georgia Shonk Simmons, company president.