My Macy's localization continues to drive profitable growth
13 May '10
4 min read
First quarter sales reflect a previously announced accounting change under which sales of private brand goods directly to third-party retailers and sales of excess inventory to third parties at the end of a season now are reported in total sales. The accounting change does not affect same-store sales.
Online sales (macys.com and bloomingdales.com combined) were up 34.0 percent in the first quarter. Online sales positively affected the company's same-store sales by 0.9 percentage points in the first quarter. Online sales are included in the same-store sales calculation for Macy's, Inc.
In the first quarter, Bloomingdale's opened in Dubai under a license agreement with Al Tayer Insignia, a company of Al Tayer Group LLC. A Macy's store in Warwick, RI, was closed due to flood damage and is expected to re-open when repairs are complete.
Operating Income Macy's, Inc.'s operating income totaled $203 million or 3.6 percent of sales for the first quarter of 2010, compared with an operating loss of $114 million for the same fiscal 2009 period. Macy's, Inc.'s first quarter 2009 operating loss included $138 million in division consolidation and store closing costs. Excluding these costs, operating income for the first quarter of 2009 was $24 million or 0.5 percent of sales.
Cash Flow Net cash used by operating activities was $149 million in the first quarter of 2010, compared with $3 million in the first quarter last year. This includes a funding contribution to the company's pension plan of $325 million in the first quarter of 2010, compared with approximately $30 million in the first quarter of 2009. Net cash used by investing activities in the first quarter of 2010 was $44 million, compared with $54 million a year ago. Net cash used by financing activities in the first quarter of 2010 was $512 million, including $505 million used to repay debt. In the first quarter of 2009, net cash used by financing activities was $908 million, including $837 million used to pay debt.