Nordstrom Reports Fourth Quarter 2023 Earnings

Revenue and earnings in line with fiscal 2023 outlook
Sales in both banners improve sequentially, Nordstrom Rack posts double-digit growth during quarter
Company provides fiscal 2024 outlook

SEATTLE, March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE:JWN) today reported fourth quarter net earnings of $134 million, or $0.82 per diluted share (“EPS”), for the 14-week quarter ended February 3, 2024. Excluding a supply chain asset impairment and related charge, the Company reported adjusted EPS of $0.96.1

For the 53-week fiscal year ended February 3, 2024, net earnings were $134 million and diluted EPS was $0.82, with earnings before interest and taxes (“EBIT”) of $251 million, or 1.8 percent of sales. Excluding charges related to the wind-down of Canadian operations reported in the first and third quarters and a supply chain asset impairment charge in the fourth quarter, adjusted EBIT was $567 million, or 4.0 percent of sales, and adjusted EPS was $2.12 for fiscal 2023.1

For the fourth quarter, total Company net sales increased 2.2 percent versus the same period in fiscal 2022, inclusive of approximately $190 million related to the 53rd week, and gross merchandise value (“GMV”) increased 2.0 percent. Nordstrom banner net sales decreased 3.0 percent and GMV decreased 3.4 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2022. Net sales for Nordstrom Rack increased 14.6 percent.

“We delivered on our 2023 guidance and are confident in our expectations for continued sales improvement and sustained profitability in 2024,” said Erik Nordstrom, chief executive officer of Nordstrom, Inc. “We’re laser-focused on efforts we know will drive growth and profitability across the business over the next few years, including new Rack store openings, Nordstrom digital growth and increasing comp store sales. We have a strong team dedicated to building on our heritage of service, and we look forward to helping our customers feel good and look their best in the year ahead.”

In the fourth quarter, active, beauty and women’s apparel had the strongest growth versus 2022. For fiscal 2023, active and beauty had the strongest growth versus 2022.

“In 2023, we continued to make progress against the priorities we identified at the outset of the year to improve the customer experience and drive better financial results. Across both banners, we improved our merchandise assortment by effectively managing our inventory levels and investing in the products and brands we know our customers respond to,” said Pete Nordstrom, president of Nordstrom, Inc. “This year, we’ll build on that progress in merchandising and other green shoots across our business as we focus our efforts on our refreshed 2024 priorities.”

As previously announced on February 28, 2024, the board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.19 per share to be paid to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 12, 2024, payable on March 27, 2024.

FOURTH QUARTER 2023 SUMMARY

Total Company net sales in the fourth quarter increased 2.2 percent, inclusive of 460 basis points related to the 53rd week, compared with the same period in fiscal 2022. The wind-down of Canadian operations had a negative impact on total Company fourth quarter net sales of 250 basis points. GMV increased 2.0 percent in the fourth quarter and decreased 6.1 percent in fiscal 2023 when compared with the same periods in 2022. Full-year revenue for fiscal 2023, including retail sales and credit card revenues, decreased 5.4 percent.
Nordstrom banner net sales in the fourth quarter decreased 3.0 percent, inclusive of 410 basis points related to the 53rd week, compared with the same period in fiscal 2022, improving sequentially from the third quarter. The wind-down of Canadian operations had a negative impact on Nordstrom banner fourth quarter net sales of 355 basis points. GMV decreased 3.4 percent in the fourth quarter and decreased 8.5 percent in fiscal 2023 when compared with the same periods in 2022.
Nordstrom Rack banner net sales in the fourth quarter increased 14.6 percent, inclusive of 580 basis points related to the 53rd week, compared with the same period in fiscal 2022, improving sequentially from the third quarter.
Digital sales in the fourth quarter decreased 1.7 percent compared with the same period in fiscal 2022. Digital sales represented 38 percent of total sales during the quarter and 36 percent of sales for the fiscal year.
Gross profit, as a percentage of net sales, of 34.4 percent increased 125 basis points compared with the same period in fiscal 2022 due to lower markdowns, lower buying and occupancy costs and leverage on higher sales.
Ending inventory decreased 2.7 percent compared with the same period in fiscal 2022, versus a 2.2 percent increase in sales.
Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses, as a percentage of net sales, of 32.4 percent increased 85 basis points compared with the same period in fiscal 2022, primarily due to higher labor costs and a supply chain asset impairment charge, partially offset by improvements in variable costs from supply chain efficiencies and leverage on higher sales. Excluding the $32 million supply chain asset impairment and related charge, adjusted SG&A expenses, as a percentage of net sales, were 31.6 percent.
EBIT was $215 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with $187 million during the same period in fiscal 2022. Adjusted EBIT of $247 million for the fourth quarter of 2023 excluded a supply chain asset impairment charge. EBIT was $251 million for fiscal 2023, and adjusted EBIT of $567 million excluded charges related to the wind-down of Canadian operations reported in the first and third quarters and a supply chain asset impairment charge in the fourth quarter. EBIT margin and adjusted EBIT margin for the quarter were 5.0 percent and 5.7 percent of sales, respectively. EBIT margin and adjusted EBIT margin for the fiscal year were 1.8 percent and 4.0 percent, respectively.2
Interest expense, net, of $26 million decreased from $27 million during the same period in fiscal 2022.
Income tax expense during the fourth quarter was $55 million, or 29.1 percent of pretax earnings, compared with $41 million, or 25.2 percent of pretax earnings, in the same period of fiscal 2022. The increase was primarily due to unfavorable provision-to-return adjustments recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with the same quarter in fiscal 2022. The full-year income tax rate was 8.6 percent. Excluding a 1,640 basis point combined favorable impact from the one-time Canada charges and the supply chain asset impairment charge, the full-year income tax rate would be 25.0 percent.
The Company ended the year with $1.4 billion in available liquidity, including $628 million in cash.

STORES UPDATE

During fiscal 2023, the Company opened or relocated 20 stores:

The Company has also announced plans to open the following stores:

The Company had the following store counts as of quarter-end: