Tiffany & Co. Inc. said today sales in its new Westport store were off to an “exceptionally strong start” and contributed to a 12 percent overall sales increase in the November-December holiday period for the luxury retailer from the prior year. 
Flashback: Tiffany’s Westport store opened Nov. 5 with a “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” event for local merchants. WestportNow.com photo
Mark L. Aaron, vice president of investor relations, told a conference call for analysts that sales in the New York flagship store were up 11 percent while sales in the six stores in the New York suburban region were roughly equivalent to last year.
“We are also experiencing an exceptionally strong start in our new store in Westport, Conn., although it is likely having a cannibalization effect on a couple of New York area stores,” he said.
The Westport store opened Nov. 5 in the location which formerly housed Eddie Bauer at the corner of Post Road East and Taylor Place. Part of the ground floor retail space has yet to be sublet.
Bill McGuinness, director of the Westport Tiffany, said, We had an exceptionally strong start, not just from the holiday season but from the day the doors opened.Ӕ
He added that the stores people-counter, which tracks the number of customers entering the store, recorded thousands of customers each day during the two weeks before Christmas.
ғIve seen customers from all over Connecticut, not just Fairfield County,Ҕ said McGuinness. There are people coming in from New Haven, Hartford, and the shoreline towns above New Haven, such as Guilford and Madison.Ӕ
McGuinness said the best-selling items during the holiday season were sterling-silver bracelets and diamonds, including engagement rings and one-of-a-kind diamond pieces.
The sterling silver heart-tag bracelet just flies out the door,Ӕ he said. And the bracelet of silver beads is also popular.Ӕ
Tiffany said total sales for the two months rose 12 percent to $673.8 million—even though it had a lackluster performance in Japan. It noted that diamond jewelry and watches were among its best-selling items.
The New York company backed a lowered forecast for the current year, after a tough third quarter, and said that, for 2005, it expects 10 percent to 12 percent earnings growth and 8 percent to 10 percent growth in sales.
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Emily Laux contributed reporting for this story.
