Macy’s, Inc. (M), one of the leading department store retailers in the United States, recently posted better-than-expected sales for the four-week period ended April 30, 2011.
Macy’s comparable-store sales for April 2011 rose 10.8%, following a marginal increase of 0.9% registered in March 2011, and compared with a 1.1% jump witnessed in April 2010. Management had earlier forecasted an increase of 8% to 9% for the month under review. Comparable-store sales for first-quarter 2011 climbed 5.4%.
Macy’s hinted that the shift in Easter holiday to April 24 this year from April 4 in the prior-year, resulted in the shift of sales in the month. For the combined March-April period, comparable-store sales grew 5.3% versus an increase of 4% to 4.5% previously projected. Initially, management had predicted a jump of 3% for the combined period.
Cincinnati, Ohio-based company, Macy’s, said that total sales for April jumped 10.9% to $1,924 million from $1,735 million in the same month last year. For first-quarter 2011, sales rose 5.7% to $5,892 million from $5,574 million reported in the prior-year period.
Online sales, which include macys.com and bloomingdales.com, continued their growth momentum in April and soared 50.3% during the month. Macy’s is seeking to expand both the Macy's and Bloomingdale's brands. Online sales were up 38.3% during the quarter.
Macy’s department stores sell a wide range of merchandise. Macy’s products include men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel and accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings and other consumer goods.
Macy’s, which competes with J. C. Penney Company Inc. (JCP), currently operates approximately 850 department stores in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico.
The company is taking steps to increase sales, profitability and cash flows, which include integration of operations, consolidation of divisions, customer-centric localization initiatives, as well as developing the e-commerce business and online order fulfillment centers. To help drive traffic Macy’s continues to focus on price optimization, inventory management and merchandise planning.
However, intense competition and higher debt-to-capitalization ratio remain concerns. Moreover, Macy’s customers remain sensitive to macroeconomic factors including interest rate hikes, increase in fuel and energy costs, credit availability, unemployment levels, and high household debt levels, which may negatively impact their discretionary spending, and in turn the company’s growth and profitability.
Currently, we have a long-term Neutral rating on the stock. Moreover, Macy’s holds a Zacks #3 Rank, which translates into a short-term Hold rating.
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