Software retailer (and Internet store operator) Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp., which completed its initial public offering on July 29, 1998, announced its financial results for the second-quarter and six-month periods ending Aug. 1, 1998. On the whole, the news seemed to be good for the company.

　　EB's revenues for the quarter were US$102.5 million, compared with US$73.4 million in the comparable quarter in 1997. Sales in stores open for a year or more rose 23.2 percent over the second quarter of last year, EB said.

　　For the six-month period ending Aug. 1, 1998, EB reported revenues of $209.8 million (compared with $157.6 million for the comparable period last year).

　　"Our business was robust across most product lines," said Joe Firestone, president and CEO of EB, "with noteworthy improvement in our PC category sales led by healthy increases in PC entertainment software and strong demand for the 3D accelerator card for PCs. Video game software sales were also quite strong during the quarter, reflecting a steady stream of well-received new titles rather than a single, specific hit during the quarter. We... are benefiting from strong and growing demand for many of our core products."

　　Firestone said the company expects to roll out approximately 80 new EB stores this year, most of them in the US.

　　EB's president also touted his company's electronic storefront. "Revenues generated by the site (have increased) each quarter since we began selling online," Firestone said. "We expect that sales momentum through our web site will continue to accelerate with the early September upgrade to a redesigned, more commerce-friendly format."