Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
Thank you, sir. (Operator instructions) And our first question comes from the line of Eric Beder with Brean Murray. Go ahead, please.
Eric Beder – Brean Murray
Good afternoon, guys. Congratulations on a great quarter.
Michael Buckley
Hi, Eric.
Pete Collins
Thanks.
Jeff Lubell
Thank you, Eric.
Eric Beder – Brean Murray
Could you talk a little bit about international, where do you think it can go? I mean I know you are having a lot of success in Japan, where do you think that Europe eventually can be in terms of kind of rankings of areas and regions for you?
Michael Buckley
Well I think we’ve said in the near term, we feel that the opportunity in Asia is probably bigger than the opportunity in Europe. So I mean that’s immediately we want to continue to make additional investments within the Asian market, start to look at franchise retail, joint venture retail, our own operations. And I think once we get solidified there, then we want to move on Europe and possibly follow the same path.
Eric Beder – Brean Murray
Okay. And we’ve also heard about kind of split between basic and fashion, are you seeing the same thing that other players are seeing at the fashion jeans, if it differentiates, there is really no resistance to higher pricing this year?
Pete Collins
Yes Eric, this is Pete. In my remarks I talked about the growth in the average selling price of jeans in our own stores, and flipping here quickly to the slate, it was up – for women’s, our average jeans were selling at $262 and for men it was $287 in the first quarter of this year and that’s up $21 for women over last year $18 for men.
So yes I mean that’s the strategy or that’s the observations we’ve made really over the last year which is that because of the focus we have on trendsetting, innovative products, we’re able to command a premium in the market that consumer that’s buying our jeans really want something that’s fresh and that’s what Jeff and the team are delivering for them.
Eric Beder – Brean Murray
Right and one question. I know you have (inaudible) with the tops, how is the response to some of the newer tops in front of the better place (inaudible).
Jeff Lubell
Eric, you’re breaking up. Can you –
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