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Urban Outfitters Q1 Earnings Soar 164%

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 13, 2004--Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ:URBN), a leading lifestyle consumer products company operating under the Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters and Free People brands, today announced record first quarter earnings of $16.9 million for the three months ended April 30, 2004, a 164% increase over the comparable quarter last year. First quarter diluted earnings per share rose to $0.41 this year versus $0.16 in the prior year.

As previously stated, net sales for the first quarter increased by 59% to a record $170.3 million. Fueling this increase over the prior year was:

  • a 32% jump in total Company comparable store sales
  • a 24% increase in the number of stores in operation
  • a 95% surge in direct-to-consumer sales
  • a 47% rise in wholesale sales

Comparable store sales at Anthropologie, Free People and Urban Outfitters were up 32%, 54% and 33%, respectively; or a combined 32% versus a 2% combined increase during the comparable quarter last year. New and non-comparable store sales increases for the quarter totaled $22.1 million.

"Our teams produced an exceptional quarter," stated Richard A. Hayne, Chairman and President. "All of the performance metrics we look at were sharply positive. Sales and profits reached 'holiday-like' levels in the first quarter, with operating margins nearing 17%. We remain very optimistic about the summer season and even though sales comparisons become more difficult in this year's second quarter, 'comps' in the first few weeks of Q2 continue to run very significantly ahead of plan."

Net sales for the three months were as follows:


                                                  Three months ended
                                                       April 30,
                                                   2004        2003
                                                 ---------   ---------
                                                     (in thousands)
Urban Outfitters store sales                      $78,566     $52,109
Anthropologie store sales                          66,574      40,954
Direct-to-consumer sales                           18,601       9,527
Free People sales                                   6,549       4,438
                                                 ---------   ---------
  Total net sales                                $170,290    $107,028
                                                 =========   =========

For the three months, gross profit margins increased by 561 basis points versus the prior year's comparable quarter. These gains were primarily due to higher initial merchandise margins, decreased markdowns and the leveraging of occupancy expenses.

As of April 30, 2004, total Company inventories grew by $24.7 million on a year-over-year basis. The acquisition of inventory to stock new retail stores was the primary factor for this increase. On a comparable store basis, the Company had planned to expedite shipment and receipt of summer merchandise earlier than last year and increase its modestly planned inventory buy to accommodate the current sales trends. These measures have resulted in an 18% increase of comparable store inventory over last year's levels. The Company believes its inventory levels are adequate to meet the current rate of customer demand.

For the three months, selling, general and administrative expenses, expressed as a percentage of net sales, decreased by 110 basis points versus the comparable quarter last year. These improvements were primarily a result of the leveraging of store-related expenses.

Thus far this fiscal year, the Company has opened one new Anthropologie store and one new Urban Outfitters store. The Company plans to open approximately 10 additional new stores during the second quarter, and a total of 24 to 27 during the entire fiscal year.

Urban Outfitters, Inc. is an innovative specialty retailer and wholesaler which offers a variety of lifestyle merchandise to highly defined customer niches through 62 Urban Outfitters stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe; an Urban Outfitters catalog and web site (www.urbn.com); 53 Anthropologie stores in the United States; an Anthropologie catalog and web site (www.anthropologie.com); and Free People, the Company's wholesale division, which sells its product to approximately 1,100 specialty stores, department stores and catalogs, as well as through one Free People store.

A conference call will be held today to discuss first quarter results and will be web cast at 11:00 a.m. EDT on: http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=URBN&script= 1010&item_id=886598. (Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. You may also need to remove an extra space in the URL if one exists.)

This news release is being made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Certain matters contained in this release may constitute forward-looking statements. Any one, or all, of the following factors could cause actual financial results to differ materially from those financial results mentioned in the forward-looking statements: the difficulty in predicting and responding to shifts in fashion trends, changes in the level of competitive pricing and promotional activity and other industry factors, overall economic and market conditions and the resultant impact on consumer spending patterns, including any effects of terrorist acts or war, availability of suitable retail space for expansion, timing of store openings, seasonal fluctuations in gross sales, the departure of one or more key senior managers, import risks, including potential disruptions and changes in duties, tariffs and quotas and other risks identified in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes make it clear that actual results may differ materially from any projected results expressed or implied therein.

(Tables follow)


                        URBAN OUTFITTERS, INC.
              Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
            (in thousands, except share and per share data)
                              (unaudited)

                                               Three Months Ended
                                                    April 30,
                                          ----------------------------
                                               2004          2003
                                          -------------- -------------

Net sales                                      $170,290      $107,028
Cost of sales, including certain buying,
  distribution and occupancy costs              100,396        69,095
                                          -------------- -------------
          Gross profit                           69,894        37,933
Selling, general and administrative
 expenses                                        41,498        27,273
                                          -------------- -------------
          Income from operations                 28,396        10,660
Other income (expense), net                         (44)           84
                                          -------------- -------------
          Income before income taxes             28,352        10,744
Income tax expense                               11,483         4,351
                                          -------------- -------------
          Net income                            $16,869        $6,393
                                          ============== =============

Net income per common share:
       Basic                                      $0.42         $0.16
                                          ============== =============
       Diluted                                    $0.41         $0.16
                                          ============== =============

Weighted average common shares
 outstanding:
       Basic                                 40,147,971    38,819,574
                                          ============== =============
       Diluted                               41,472,332    39,532,440
                                          ============== =============


PERCENT OF NET SALES
Net sales                                           100%          100%
Cost of sales, including certain buying,
   distribution and occupancy costs                59.0          64.6
                                          -------------- -------------
          Gross profit                             41.0          35.4
Selling, general and administrative
 expenses                                          24.3          25.4
                                          -------------- -------------
           Income from operations                  16.7          10.0
Other income (expense), net                           -           0.1
                                          -------------- -------------
         Income before income taxes                16.7          10.1
Income tax expense                                  6.8           4.1
                                          -------------- -------------
Net income                                          9.9%          6.0%
                                          ============== =============



                        URBAN OUTFITTERS, INC.
                 Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
            (in thousands, except share and per share data)
                              (unaudited)

                                         April 30, Jan. 31,  April 30,
                                           2004      2004      2003
                                         --------- --------- ---------
            Assets
Current assets:
   Cash and cash equivalents              $72,547   $67,194   $57,632
   Marketable securities                   23,526    19,979     7,000
   Accounts receivable, net of allowance
    for doubtful accounts of $819,
    $651 and $625, respectively             7,446     6,711     5,538
   Inventories                             78,399    63,247    53,739
   Prepaid expenses, deferred taxes and
    other current assets                   16,959    18,704    15,222
                                         --------- --------- ---------
Total current assets                      198,877   175,835   139,131

Property and equipment, net               134,549   121,919   110,406
Marketable securities                      58,547    52,315    28,672
Deferred income taxes and other assets      9,522     9,526     8,929
                                         --------- --------- ---------
                                         $401,495  $359,595  $287,138
                                         ========= ========= =========

  Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current liabilities:
   Accounts payable                       $37,929   $27,353   $21,604
   Accrued expenses, accrued
    compensation and other current
    liabilities                            38,673    30,409    22,734
                                         --------- --------- ---------
Total current liabilities                  76,602    57,762    44,338

Deferred rent and other liabilities        11,882    11,703    10,740
                                         --------- --------- ---------
Total liabilities                          88,484    69,465    55,078
                                         --------- --------- ---------

Commitments and contingencies

Shareholders' equity:
   Preferred shares; $.0001 par value,
    10,000,000 shares authorized, none
    issued                                      -        --        --
   Common shares; $.0001 par value,
    50,000,000 shares authorized,
    40,193,971, 39,888,271 and
    38,915,872 issued and outstanding,
    respectively                                4         4         4
   Additional paid-in capital              89,864    83,283    68,623
   Retained earnings                      221,774   204,905   162,922
   Accumulated other comprehensive
    income                                  1,369     1,938       511
                                         --------- --------- ---------
Total shareholders' equity                313,011   290,130   232,060
                                         --------- --------- ---------
                                         $401,495  $359,595  $287,138
                                         ========= ========= =========



                        URBAN OUTFITTERS, INC.
            Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
                            (in thousands)
                              (unaudited)

                                                    Three Months Ended
                                                          April 30,
                                                    ------------------
                                                      2004      2003
                                                    --------  --------
Cash flows from operating activities:
   Net income                                        $16,869   $6,393
   Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash
    provided by operating activities:
      Depreciation and amortization                    6,431    4,948
      Tax benefit of stock option exercises            4,318      288
      Changes in assets and liabilities:
         Increase in receivables                        (740)  (2,279)
         Increase in inventories                     (15,206)  (4,941)
         Decrease (increase) in prepaid expenses and
          other assets                                 1,732   (2,253)
         Decrease in payables, accrued expenses and
          other liabilities                           12,515      703
                                                     -------- --------
   Net cash provided by operating activities          25,919    2,859
                                                     -------- --------

Cash flows from investing activities:
      Capital expenditures                           (11,858)  (5,925)
      Purchases of marketable securities             (19,792) (24,228)
      Sales and maturities of marketable securities    9,205   11,578
                                                     -------- --------
   Net cash used in investing activities             (22,445) (18,575)
                                                     -------- --------

Cash flows from financing activities:
     Exercise of stock options                         2,262    1,175
                                                     -------- --------
   Net cash provided by financing activities           2,262    1,175
                                                     -------- --------

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash
 equivalents                                            (383)      46
                                                     -------- --------

Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents       5,353  (14,495)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period      67,194   72,127
                                                     -------- --------
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period           $72,547  $57,632
                                                     ======== ========

CONTACT:
Urban Outfitters, Inc.
John E. Kyees, 215-564-2313

SOURCE: Urban Outfitters, Inc.