An article by Barbara Thau in HFN from June 2008 points out that while Williams-Sonoma, parent company of Pottery Barn and West Elm, is facing shrinking sales, the company is still investing in the web.
Excerpt: "Williams-Sonoma Inc.’s net revenues decreased 4.4 percent to $781.8 million. Net earnings fell 42 percent to $10.4 million.
Direct-to-customer net revenues, which includes catalog and Internet revenues, fell 4.0 percent to $348.2 million.
Across its formats, the retailer continues to bet big on e-commerce, with site upgrades set for Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teen in the third quarter."