But the e-retailer’s loss widens.

Online sales at customized products e-retailer CaféPress increased in the third quarter as its net loss ballooned.

For the quarter ended Sept. 30, CaféPress.com, No. 112 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, reported:

  • Web sales increased 24.6% to $45.6 million from $36.6 million in the third quarter of 2011.
  • Net loss was $2.4 million, compared with a net loss of $534,000 in Q3 2011.
  • Spending on marketing increased 31.9% to $12.4 million from $9.4 million.
  • Spending on technology and development increased 23.3% to $3.7 million from $3.0 million.
  • Spending for general and administrative expenses increased 14.3% to $4.0 million, compared with $3.5 million.
  • The average order value was $54, compared with $50.
  • The total number of customers increased 13.2% to 679,310 from 600,013 in the third quarter of 2011.
  • The total number of orders grew year over year 12.8% to 830,819 from 736,562.

“Revenue from our marketplace and large corporate shops was solid, we launched new social, mobile and licensed content programs, and average order size benefitted from strong wall art sales and purchases by groups,” says CEO Bob Marino. “These trends were offset by lower revenue from small shops, and our bottom line was impacted by enhanced levels of promotional activity and additional expenses related to increased manufacturing capacity.”

During the quarter, CaféPress unveiled a new mobile commerce site that lets consumers shake their smartphones to view a new item. And in October, CaféPress bought EZ Prints, another customized products e-retailer, for $30 million. That will enable the company to offer more products to corporate customer, CaféPress says.

For the first three quarters:

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  • Web sales increased 23.2% to $130.5 million, compared with $105.9 million in the first three quarters of 2011.
  • Net loss was $3.2 million, versus a net loss of $1.5 million in the same period last year.
  • Spending on marketing increased 31.9% to $34.3 million from $26.0 million.
  • Spending on technology and development increased 2.1% to $9.8 million from $9.6 million.
  • Spending for general and administrative expenses increased 25.8% to $12.2 million from $9.7 million.
  • The average order value was $51, compared with $50.
  • The total number of customers increased 25% to 2.0 million from 1.6 million in the first three quarters of 2011.
  • The total number of orders grew year over year 23.8% to 2.6 million from 2.1 million.
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