L Brands, Inc. (NYSE: LB) reported net sales of $3.836 billion for the nine weeks ended Jan. 2, 2021, compared to net sales of $3.906 billion for the nine weeks ended Jan. 4, 2020. Comparable sales increased 5 percent for the nine weeks ended Jan. 2, 2021, compared to the nine weeks ended Jan. 4, 2020.
At Bath & Body Works, comparable sales increased 17 percent for the nine weeks ended Jan. 2, 2021, including a comparable sales increase of 5 percent in stores and 64 percent sales growth in the direct channel. The merchandise margin rate for the quarter-to-date period increased significantly.
At Victoria’s Secret, comparable sales decreased 9 percent for the nine weeks ended Jan. 2, 2021, including a comparable sales decrease of 23 percent in stores and 24 percent sales growth in the direct channel. The merchandise margin rate for the quarter-to-date period increased significantly.
The company currently expects to report fourth quarter earnings per share between $2.70 and $2.80. The company plans to report fourth quarter earnings on Feb. 24, 2021.
Andrew Meslow, Chief Executive Officer of L Brands and Bath & Body Works, said “We are very pleased with our Holiday results, which significantly exceeded our initial expectations, driven by an increase in profitability at both Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret. In this challenging environment, we maintained our focus on customer and associate safety and delivered exceptional execution. Bath & Body Works continues to deliver record results, demonstrating the strength of the brand. The turnaround at Victoria’s Secret also continues to gain momentum, driven by an improved merchandise assortment and focused execution of retail fundamentals and our profit improvement plan.”
Meslow added, “These results would not be possible without the dedication and hard work of all of our associates and partners … in stores, distribution, fulfillment and call centers, home office and the supply chain. We’d like to express our sincere appreciation for their efforts.”
http://investors.lb.com/news-releases/news-release-details/l-brands-reports-holiday-2020-sales-and-provides-fourth-quarter