Active outdoor apparel and footwear designer Columbia Sportswear Company has announced net sales of $409.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2005, a decrease of 1.4% compared with $415.8 million reported for the same period of 2004. Net income for the third quarter was $66.5 million, a 3.1% decrease compared with the same period in 2004.

Compared with the third quarter of 2004, European sales increased 5.6% to $62.1 million, but other International sales increased 16.5% to $50.2 million. Canadian sales increased 6.3% to $52.6 million, and US sales decreased 7.4% to $244.9.

Tim Boyle, Columbia's president and CEO, commented, "As expected from the fall sales order backlog reported last April, third quarter outerwear and footwear sales were disappointing, offset by increases in sportswear. The competitive environment in our core US outerwear business is intense, and US retail consolidation continues to impact our business. Also as expected, third quarter European sales were weak in our German and Scandinavian markets. We are making investments in these areas to strengthen the core Columbia brand and improve our performance in these key markets."