The outdoor and action sports unit of VF Corporation, the owner of The North Face and Vans, among others, lifted its sales by 60 percent for the first quarter. Sales were inflated by the acquisition of Timberland, but the rise also included organic growth of 15 percent. The turnover of The North Face jumped by 14 percent in the three months, with double-digit sales increases in the Americas and in international markets. The same applies to Vans, which enjoyed a sales hike of 25 percent, while Timberland sales only rose modestly in the quarter. The operating income of the outdoor and action sports unit jumped by 40 percent to $202 million. Excluding Timberland, the unit's operating income increased by 28 percent and the operating profit margin was up by 2 percentage points to 20.3 percent. The entire VF group saw its sales soar by 31 percent to $2,556 million for the quarter, with organic growth of 12 percent. It ended the quarter with net income of $215.2 million, up by 7.2 percent (more in The Outdoor Industry Compass).

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