These are the numbers on which that goal is set. Fourth-quarter net income surged 72%; total sales jumped 43% to $251.6 million; and comp store sales were up 13% on top of a 21%-gain in the comparable quarter a year ago. During the year, Urban Outfitters added 14 units; Anthropologie, 13, and Free People, one. Sales from the new stores contributed $40.5 million to total net sales for fourth quarter alone, which represented more than half, 54%, of the company's quarterly sales gain.

Beat that. For the full year, Urban did. Total sales spiked 51% to a record $827.8 million; comp store sales rose 22%; earnings soared 87% to $95.1 million. The 28 stores that were added during the year ended Jan. 31, 2005 set a record number of new store openings in a single year for the company and represented 25% growth in units.

What's next? "We're cautiously optimistic about our spring results," Hayne said. But, clearly, optimism reigns. "We believe that we can continue to grow the store base at each brand by at least 20% on a compound annual basis, . . . and while we plan, this year as always, to produce between 3% and 4% comp store sales increases, over the past six years we have actually delivered an average comp increase of 9%," he pointed out. This February's comp increases are "significantly ahead of our plan and above the six-year average," he added.

To keep the ball rolling, Urban plans to open between 30 and 32 units this fiscal year, including three new Free People stores, which are units that take their name from the company's wholesale brand. Wholesale business delivered the highest rate of growth among all the company's business segments. In fourth quarter alone, its sales more than doubled to $6.5 million. Average unit wholesale prices increased 30% and the average order size jumped by 40%.

This fall, Free People will begin shipping a broader range of wholesale goods, including fashion-basic knits. In addition, the brand opened shops-within-shops at Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom, two of its major wholesale customers.

Direct-to-consumer business for all three brands is targeted for significant growth. That, too, is a tall order. In fourth quarter total direct sales soared 69% over sales for the same quarter the year before. This came from a 93% increase in catalog circulation during the quarter, combined with an improved catalog response rate and a rise in the value of the average order.

Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters catalog circulation will increase by 20% and 40%, respectively, this year. Anthropologie is testing a new accessories catalog, and Glen Senk, president of that brand, said, "initial results appear very promising."

More web-only product is being added to each brands' website. To accommodate anticipated growth in catalog and online sales, Urban is expanding its direct fulfillment and call center operations to increase capacity by between six and eight times current volume.

Hayne sees strength in staying the course, saying the record results and the company's competitive advantage flow "from our ability to build vital brands that connect emotionally with the chosen customer. Each of our three brands is distinct from the other two and from its outside competitors," he said. "We believe that all three brands are in an early stage of growth and that each has the potential to grow through multiple modes of distribution."

Currently, there are 75 Urban Outfitters units in the US, Canada and Europe; 66 Anthropologie units in the US, and two Free People stores in the US. Free People wholesales to approximately 1,100 specialty and department stores.