Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) today reported first quarter net earnings of $20 million and earnings per diluted share (“EPS”) of $0.13 for the quarter ended April 30, 2022. Excluding a gain on the sale of the Company’s interest in a corporate office building and an impairment charge related to a Trunk Club property, the Company posted an adjusted loss per share of $0.06.1
Additionally, first quarter EPS was negatively impacted by $0.05 as a result of discrete tax expenses, primarily related to stock-based compensation, which increased the quarterly effective tax rate by 19.3 percent of pretax earnings. The Company continues to expect a full-year income tax rate of approximately 27 percent.
For the first quarter, net sales increased 18.7 percent versus the same period in fiscal 2021, exceeding pre-pandemic sales levels, and gross merchandise value (“GMV”) increased 19.6 percent. During the quarter, Nordstrom banner net sales increased 23.5 percent and GMV increased 24.8 percent. Net sales for Nordstrom Rack increased 10.3 percent and continued to show sequential improvement towards pre-pandemic sales levels.
“Our focus on serving the customer through our interconnected model with Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack, a scaled digital platform and a strong store fleet positioned us to capitalize on demand from customers who shopped for long-awaited occasions and refreshed their closets,” said Erik Nordstrom, chief executive officer of Nordstrom, Inc. “In the first quarter, we drove strong topline growth with broad-based improvement across core categories and geographies. Importantly, we made progress on our strategic initiatives and continue to focus on increasing profitability on the path to achieving our financial targets.”
In the first quarter, core categories including men’s and women’s apparel, shoes and designer had the strongest growth against 2021 as customers refreshed their wardrobes for occasions such as social events, travel and return to office. Improvements were broad-based across regions, with urban stores having the strongest growth. Merchandise margins improved as a result of favorable pricing impacts and lower markdown rates.
“Customers remain at the center of everything we do and we continue to provide them with expanded and relevant choices and the differentiated service they expect from us, delivering on our commitment to get ‘closer to you’,” said Pete Nordstrom, president and chief brand officer of Nordstrom, Inc. “We’re pleased with the momentum we’re seeing in the business and excited about our plans for the upcoming Anniversary Sale. Looking ahead, we are committed to driving additional merchandise margin improvement and increasing supply chain productivity, to deliver incremental profitability while continuing to elevate the customer experience.”
more at: https://investor.nordstrom.com/news-releases/news-release-details/nordstrom-reports-first-quarter-2022-earnings