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HHGregg adds furniture, exercise gear as TV sales fall

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HHGregg Inc. is adding furniture and exercise equipment to its 224 stores in coming months as the homegrown company fights to offset a stomach-churning drop in television sales.

The appliances and electronics retailer Friday morning reported a second-quarter same-store sales drop of 8.8 percent overall, but the video category tumbled 20.5 percent, compared to a 4-percent drop during the same period a year earlier.

HHGregg shares jumped nearly 19 percent Friday, to close at $7.60 each.

The chain is facing fierce competition from big-box stores like Walmart and online retailers like Amazon.com as television prices fall and become more of a commodity purchase. To fight back, HHGregg is diversifying its product offerings, offering more computer tablets, mobile phones and appliances, while focusing on very high-end televisions it can still sell profitably.

In the second quarter, the company managed to offset some of the video decline with an 11.8-percent increase in mobile phone sales and a modest 1.1-percent increase in appliance sales.

HHGregg earned $3.8 million, or 11 cents per share, on revenue of $587.6 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30. That compares to earnings of $6 million, or 16 cents per share, on revenue of $618.6 million during the same quarter last year.

The results exceeded analyst expectations by 2 cents per share on the bottom line, but revenue fell short of the average of $638 million analysts expected. The company's guidance of per-share earnings of 90 cents to $1.05 for 2013 fell in line with analyst expectations.

Profit margins improved to 29.6 percent, from 28.6 percent, as the company emphasized more profitable products, including larger-screen LED televisions and more energy-efficient appliances.

The company's sales mix was 36 percent in the video category and 46 percent appliances; the sales breakdown for the same quarter last year was 42 percent video and 40 percent appliances. Mobile phones and an "other" category including audio, mattresses and personal electronics each contribute about 9 percent of sales.

HHGregg said it opened 13 new stores in its fiscal 2013 second quarter, and plans to open a total of 20 during the fiscal year. That represents a pullback on the company's rapid growth plans. The company's shares took a tumble in September after HHGregg abandoned plans for an expansion in Michigan.

Shares closed Thursday at $6.39, well off HHGregg's 52-week high of $16.65.

Executives have been taking advantage of the lower share price with buybacks. The company repurchased about 1.2 million of its shares in the second quarter at a cost of $8.3 million. HHGregg has $30.5 million remaining on a $50 million buyback authorization.

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  1. Saw the Indy Men's Chorus "Music of Gilbert & Sullivan" at the Indiana Historical Society on Sunday evening.

  2. Temporary workers are not "tools" they are people and companies that keep large amounts of temp staff are cheating.

  3. I miss having them around. I hope one of their stores is in the general Meridian/86th Street area. I will make good use of it.

  4. The Fringe! Plus, the simple fact that there are so many local faves in such close proximity to each other.

  5. I remenber, watching the toll road, being built, through South Bend, when I was 10 years old. I believe, back then that it was estimated, that the toll road, would be paid for in 20 years and then it would be free. I am now 71, what happened? Since the power is in the people, by that, I mean that, we the people are in total control of everything. I, suggest that no one ever use the toll road again, let it go broke. We the people can control the price of everything, from groceries to gas, if we would just do it. If we don't pay the asking price, the sellers will lower the price and if we wait awhile, they will lower the price to what we accept as reasonable. I would like to know why a highway like interstate 94, is so well maintained, a much better highway, than the toll road, but has no tolls. I would also like to know why, a sitting governor, with a term limit, maximum of eight years, can lease, public property, for 75 years. Even though I have transponders in both of my trucks and will not be affected by the increase, I have been and will contine to avoid using the toll road. I make many trips from northern Indiana to Chicago, every year, and I prefer the better highway, I94!

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