Macys, Inc. Reports Positive Comp Sales for November/December

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Business Wire 4-Jan-2018 8:00 AM
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Annual earnings guidance raised due to solid holiday results and federal tax law change
$300MM in annualized cost savings to be reinvested in the business
CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Macys, Inc. (NYSE:M) today announced that its comparable sales on an owned basis increased 1.0 percent in the months of November and December 2017 combined, compared to the same period last year. On an owned plus licensed basis, comparable sales increased 1.1 percent in the combined November/December period.
Macys had a solid holiday shopping season, and we are pleased that our November/December performance resulted in positive comp sales for the period, setting us up for a positive fourth quarter. Consumers were ready to spend this season, and we delivered with solid execution, fresher inventory, a curated gift assortment and a focus on customer experience. We saw improved sales trends in our stores and continued to see double-digit growth on our digital platforms. Customers also responded well to our new loyalty program, said Jeff Gennette, Macys, Inc. chief executive officer. We intend to close the fourth quarter in a good position and head into 2018 with momentum.
Macys, Inc. saw improved holiday sales across Macys, Macys Backstage, Bloomingdales, Bloomingdales The Outlet and Bluemercury, with exclusive gifts showing strong performance. Active apparel, shoes, dresses, coats, fine jewelry, mens tailored clothing, children's and home were all top performers. Beauty was also a highlight and showed a marked improvement in trend, with particular strength in fragrance, prestige skincare and cosmetic gifting.
Our primary focus in 2017 has been to continue the strong growth of digital and mobile, stabilize our brick & mortar business and set the foundation for future growth. Weve made good progress on each, including encouraging trend improvements in our brick & mortar business. A healthy store base combined with robust digital capabilities is Macys recipe for success, continued Gennette. Looking ahead to 2018, we are focused on continuous improvement and will take the necessary steps to move faster, execute more effectively and allocate resources to invest in growth.
Cost Management to Reinvest in Growth
The company is also taking actions intended to continue improvements in organizational efficiency and to allocate resources to support its growth strategy. Major components of these restructuring activities include:
Staffing adjustments across the stores organization with reductions in some stores and increases in others;
Further streamlining in some non-store functions; and,
Closure of 11 stores in early 2018.
The company expects annual expense savings of $300 million from these actions beginning in fiscal-year 2018, which it intends to reinvest in the business. Also associated with these actions, the company anticipates one-time charges of approximately $160 million, or approximately 33 cents per share, (of which approximately$115 millionis expected to be cash) to be booked in the fourth quarter of 2017 for restructuring activities, asset impairment, store closings and other costs.
Update on Store Closures
The company announced the closure of 11 Macys stores, 4 of which were previously disclosed. With these closures, the company will have completed 81 of the approximately 100 planned store closures announced in August 2016. The company intends to close approximately 19 additional stores as leases or operating covenants expire or sale transactions are completed. These closures are part of a multi-year effort by the company to ensure the optimal mix of brick & mortar stores and digital footprint. Including the stores announced today, Macys, Inc. has closed 124 stores since 2015. A list of stores scheduled to close in early 2018 is included at the end of this news release.
2017 Guidance
Macys, Inc. is narrowing the range of its previously provided full-year sales guidance. The company now expects comparable sales on an owned basis to decline between 2.4 percent and 2.7 percent, with comparable sales on an owned plus licensed basis to decline between 2.0 percent and 2.3 percent. Total sales are expected to be down between 3.6 percent and 3.9 percent in fiscal 2017. Total sales for fiscal 2017 reflect a 53rd week, whereas comparable sales are on a 52-week basis.
Excluding the change in federal tax law, Macys, Inc. anticipates earnings results for full-year 2017 to be in the upper end of previously disclosed guidance. Additionally, due to the timing of its fiscal year, the company expects federal tax reform to result in an effective annual tax rate that is approximately one point lower than previously expected (approximately 36 percent vs. approximately 37 percent). As a result, the company is raising its full-year 2017 earnings guidance. The company now expects adjusted earnings per diluted share of between $3.59 and $3.69 in 2017, excluding the impact of the anticipated settlement charges, restructuring, asset impairments, store closings and other costs and net premiums and fees associated with debt repurchases. Excluding the impact of the anticipated fourth quarter gain on the sale of the Union Square Mens building in San Francisco, adjusted earnings per diluted share of between $3.11 and $3.21 are expected in 2017 on the same basis.
Fiscal-Year 2017 Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS) Guidance
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Prior Guidance Updated Guidance(Excluding FederalTax Reform) Updated Guidance(Including FederalTax Reform)1
FY17 Adjusted EPS $3.38 - $3.63 $3.53 - $3.63 $3.59 - $3.69
FY17 Adjusted EPS excluding Union Square gain $2.91 - $3.16 $3.06 - $3.16 $3.11 - $3.21

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The recent passage of federal tax reform will also require the company to re-measure deferred tax balances in fiscal 2017. The company currently estimates the deferred tax impact of the federal tax rate reduction from 35 percent to 21 percent will result in a non-cash tax benefit of approximately $550 million to $650 million. This is estimated to add between $1.79 and $2.12 to earnings per diluted share in the fourth quarter and for the full-year 2017. This one-time tax benefit is not included in guidance and is not included in the table above.
Fourth Quarter Earnings Announcement
Macys, Inc. is scheduled to report fourth quarter sales and earnings onFebruary 27, 2018. Additional detail on financial performance will be provided at that time. The company will webcast a call with financial analysts and investors at10 a.m. ETonFebruary 27, 2018. Macys, Inc.s webcast is accessible to the media and general public via the company's website atwww.macysinc.com. Analysts and investors may call in on 800-263-0877, passcode 5302609. A replay of the conference call can be accessed on the website or by calling 888-203-1112, passcode 5302609, about two hours after the conclusion of the call.
Details on Macys Store Closings
The following Macys stores will be closing in early 2018.In most cases, clearance saleswill begin onJanuary 8, 2018,and run for approximately 8 to 12 weeks.
Laguna Hills Mall, Laguna Hills, CA *
Westside Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA*
Novato (Furniture), Novato, CA
Stonestown Galleria, San Francisco, CA *
The Oaks, Gainesville, FL
Miami (Downtown), Miami, FL
Magic Valley Mall, Twin Falls, ID*
Honey Creek Mall, Terre Haute, IN
Birchwood Mall, Fort Gratiot Township, MI
Fountain Place, Cincinnati, OH
Burlington Town Center, Burlington, VT
*Previously disclosed closure
About Macys, Inc.
Macys, Inc. is one of the nations premier retailers. With fiscal 2016 sales of $25.778 billion and approximately 140,000 employees, the company operates more than 700 department stores under the nameplates Macys and Bloomingdales, and approximately 160 specialty stores that include Bloomingdales The Outlet, Bluemercury and Macys Backstage. Macys, Inc. operates stores in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico, as well as macys.com, bloomingdales.com and bluemercury.com. Bloomingdales stores in Dubai and Kuwait are operated by Al Tayer Group LLC under license agreements. Macys, Inc. has corporate offices in Cincinnati, Ohio, and New York, New York.
All statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Macys management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this release because of a variety of factors, including conditions to, or changes in the timing of, proposed real estate and other transactions, prevailing interest rates and non-recurring charges, the effect of federal tax reform, store closings, competitive pressures from specialty stores, general merchandise stores, off-price and discount stores, manufacturers outlets, the Internet, mail-order catalogs and television shopping and general consumer spending levels, including the impact of the availability and level of consumer debt, the effect of weather and other factors identified in documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Macys disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Important Information Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company reports its financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). However, management believes that certain non-GAAP financial measures provide users of the Company's financial information with additional useful information in evaluating operating performance. Management believes that providing supplemental changes in comparable sales on an owned plus licensed basis, which includes the impact of growth in comparable sales of departments licensed to third parties, assists in evaluating the Company's ability to generate sales growth, whether through owned businesses or departments licensed to third parties, on a comparable basis, and in evaluating the impact of changes in the manner in which certain departments are operated. In addition, management believes that excluding certain items from diluted earnings per share attributable toMacy's, Inc. shareholders that are not associated with the Companys core operations and that may vary substantially in frequency and magnitude period-to-period provides useful supplemental measures that assist in evaluating the Company's ability to generate earnings and leverage sales and to more readily compare these metrics between past and future periods.
The reconciliation of the forward-looking non-GAAP financial measure of changes in comparable sales on an owned plus licensed basis to GAAP comparable sales (i.e., on an owned basis) is in the same manner as illustrated below, where the impact of growth in comparable sales of departments licensed to third parties is the only reconciling item. In addition, the Company does not provide the most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP measure of diluted earnings per share attributable to Macys, Inc. shareholders because the timing and amount of excluded items (e.g., restructuring, asset impairment, store closing, settlement charges, net premiums and fees associated with debt repurchases, and certain other benefits/costs) are unreasonably difficult to fully and accurately estimate.
Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed as supplementing, and not as an alternative or substitute for, the Company's financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Certain of the items that may be excluded or included in non-GAAP financial measures may be significant items that could impact the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows and should therefore be considered in assessing the Company's actual and future financial condition and performance. Additionally, the amounts received by the Company on account of sales of departments licensed to third parties are limited to commissions received on such sales. The methods used by the Company to calculate its non-GAAP financial measures may differ significantly from methods used by other companies to compute similar measures. As a result, any non-GAAP financial measures presented herein may not be comparable to similar measures provided by other companies.
Change in Comparable Sales
The following is a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure of changes in comparable sales on an owned plus licensed basis, to GAAP comparable sales (i.e., on an owned basis), which the company believes to be the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.
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9 Weeks Ended December 30, 2017

Increase in comparable sales on an owned basis (Note 1) 1.0%

Impact of growth in comparable sales of departments licensed to third parties (Note 2) 0.1%

Increase in comparable sales on an owned plus licensed basis 1.1%

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Notes:
(1) Represents the period-to-period change in net sales from stores in operation throughout the year presented and the immediately preceding year and all online sales, excluding commissions from departments licensed to third parties.

(2) Represents the impact of including the sales of departments licensed to third parties occurring in stores in operation throughout the year presented and the immediately preceding year and all online sales in the calculation of comparable sales. The company licenses third parties to operate certain departments in its stores and online and receives commissions from these third parties based on a percentage of their net sales. In its financial statements prepared in conformity with GAAP, the company includes these commissions (rather than sales of the departments licensed to third parties) in its net sales. The company does not, however, include any amounts in respect of licensed department sales (or any commissions earned on such sales) in its comparable sales in accordance with GAAP (i.e., on an owned basis). The company believes that the amounts of commissions earned on sales of departments licensed to third parties are not material to its results of operations.

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1Updated Guidance Including Federal Tax Reform does not include the estimated non-cash tax benefit related to the re-measurement of deferred tax balances in fiscal 2017.

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Macys, Inc.MediaBlair Fasbender Rosenberg, 646-429-6032media@macys.comorInvestorsMonica Koehler, 513-579-7780investors@macys.com
Source: Macys, Inc.