• August 31, 2011

Zale Corp. says sales for the fourth quarter of its fiscal year climbed 9.4% to $377 million, compared to $345 million in the same period last year.

Those results were powered by a 9.8% gain in comparable store sales, the third consecutive quarter of positive same-store results. The Dallas-based jewelry retailer trimmed its operating loss to $24 million, compared to an operating loss of $31 million in the prior year quarter.

"In fiscal 2011, we made substantial progress in the multi-year initiative to return to profitability," says Theo Killion, CEO, in the earnings release. "The strength of our assortment, marketing and field organization position us well to navigate through the current economic environment."