Nordstrom boosted its sales outlook for the year, after a strong showing in the second quarter that was driven by growth in sales of children’s apparel and beauty merchandise.
Nordstrom's store at Del Amo Fashion Center, in Torrance, Calif.
Same-store sales at Nordstrom’s 125 full-line department stores rose by 4.1 percent in the second quarter. Same-store sales at the 238 Nordstrom Rack off-price stores, meanwhile, grew by 4 percent, exceeding expectations.
“Rack stores play a really critical role in allowing us to have a great flow of newness in our full-price stores,” Co-President Blake Nordstrom said during a conference call with investors.
Nordstrom's Michigan Avenue store, in Chicago
Based on this performance, the company upgraded its forecast for the full year to between 1.5 and 2 percent, from the previous 0.5 to 1.5 percent.
Digital sales surged by 23 percent in the second quarter, up from 20 percent for the year-ago quarter. Digital sales accounted for 34 percent of second-quarter sales, up from 29 percent a year ago.
By Brannon Boswell
Executive Editor, Commerce + Communities Today
