LaCrosse Footwear increased revenues by 2 percent to $27.1 million in the second quarter ended June 25 thanks to strong growth in outdoor sales. The American company's sales to the outdoor market rose by 18 percent to $9.4 million on strong demand for hunting and hiking products. Meanwhile, sales to the work market were down by 5 percent to $17.6 million, due to a reduction in orders from the American military and the decision in 2010 to interrupt the production of work apparel. Excluding military and apparel sales, work sales rose by 17 percent. LaCrosse's gross margin narrowed to 38.5 percent in the second quarter from 40.9 percent a year earlier, stemming from an increase in closeout sales of work apparel. It suffered a $0.2 million net loss compared with a net profit of $0.1 million a year earlier. The group was still upbeat about the second half of the year, the strongest sales period for its outdoor business.

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