Alberto Culver reports Q2 earnings

MELROSE PARK, Ill. Alberto Culver reported an increase in net sales for its second quarter.

The maker of such brands as TRESemme St. Ives said net sales increased 11.8% to $384.8 million, compared with the prior-year quarter, while diluted earnings per share increased 7.1% to 30 cents from last year.

Despite the increase in sales, however, Alberto Culver also reported that sales declined 1.7% for the first half of the year, largely due to lower than normal customer service levels as a result of the company's manufacturing, supply chain and systems disruptions. Additionally, the company's gross profit margin was 52.2% in the second quarter, compared with 50.3% in the prior-year quarter.

Alberto Culver president and CEO V. James Marino said, "The strength of our brands, led by TRESemme, has enabled us to continue to show positive momentum and generate especially strong growth in our international markets. This comes in the face of a sluggish global hair care category and the impact on our U.S. business from the manufacturing and supply chain issues that we discussed on our last earnings call. While we have made solid progress in restoring customer service levels, particularly in March, we expect some of the disruptions to continue into the current quarter."