May 26, 2004 1:12 PM, from staff and wire reports

Fresh Brands Inc, the Sheboygan WI-based supermarket retailer and grocery wholesaler, reported results for its first fiscal quarter ended April 24, 2004. Net sales for the 2004 quarter totaled $200.6 million, an increase of $25.8 million, or 14.8%, compared with the first fiscal quarter of 2003. Comparable store sales for the company’s owned and franchised supermarkets rose 3.2% in the first fiscal quarter of 2004 versus the same period in 2003.

The company realized a net loss of $1.7 million in the first fiscal quarter of 2004, compared with net earnings of $1.9 million in the same period in 2003. Net loss from continuing operations was $0.7 million in the first fiscal quarter of 2004, versus net earnings of $2.5 million in the same period a year earlier.