UPDATE 1-PetMed Q1 results beat market estimates

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July 21 (Reuters) - Pet pharmacy PetMed Express Inc (PETS.O: Quote, Profile, Research) posted first-quarter earnings that narrowly beat market estimates, helped by customer growth and higher new and reorder sales.

For the three months ended June 30, the company reported net income of $6.6 million, or 28 cents a share, compared with $6.2 million, or 25 cents a share, a year earlier. Net sales rose 16 percent to $68.4 million at the company, which sells its products through a toll-free number, 1-800-PetMeds, a Web site, 1800petmeds.com, and a catalog. Analysts on average expected the company, which ships its products directly to customers, to earn 27 cents a share, before special items, on revenue of $65.1 million, according to Reuters Estimates. New order sales increased 17 percent to $22.1 million as the company acquired about 267,000 new customers.

Reorder sales grew 16 percent to $46.2 million.

Shares of the Pompano Beach, Florida-based company closed at $13.50 Friday on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Anne Pallivathuckal in Bangalore; Editing by Amitha Rajan)