Macy’s, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2023 Results

Fourth quarter diluted EPS of $(0.26); Adjusted diluted EPS of $2.45

Fourth quarter gross margin rate of 37.5%, up 340 basis points year-over-year

Achieved full-year 2023 net sales guidance and exceeded adjusted earnings guidance

Ended the year with over $1 billion of cash on balance sheet and generated $1.3 billion of operating cash flow

Announces “A Bold New Chapter,” a strategy to challenge the status quo to fundamentally reposition the company, enhance the customer experience, deliver growth and unlock shareholder value

Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE: M) today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2023 and provided fiscal 2024 guidance.

“I am grateful to all our teams for their continued commitment to our customers during the holiday season. Throughout the fourth quarter, we delivered an improved omnichannel experience, with effective merchandising and a clear demonstration of value that resulted in a strong close to the year,” said Tony Spring, chief executive officer of Macy’s, Inc. “Our portfolio of iconic and globally recognized nameplates, healthy balance sheet and fortified operations position us to execute A Bold New Chapter. This strategy is designed to create a more modern Macy’s, Inc. that is expected to generate meaningful value for our shareholders in the years ahead.”

Fourth Quarter 2023 Highlights

Comparisons are to the fourth quarter 2022 unless noted otherwise. Financial highlights are reported on a 14-week basis for the fourth quarter of 2023 and on a 13-week basis for the fourth quarter of 2022 unless otherwise noted. Please refer to note 1 within the financial tables regarding reclassifications of certain prior year metrics.

• Diluted loss per share of $0.26 and Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $2.45.
  • This compares to diluted earnings per share of $1.83 and Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.88 in the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • Diluted loss per share in the fourth quarter of 2023 included $1.0 billion of impairment, restructuring and other costs primarily related to actions that support profitable growth and market share gains, and align with A Bold New Chapter. Included within this is a roughly $950 million non-cash asset impairment charge, primarily related to the approximately 150 locations planned for closure over the next three years and the remaining associated with corporate assets.
• Net sales of $8.1 billion, down 1.7% versus the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • Digital sales decreased 4% versus the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • Brick-and-mortar sales were roughly flat versus the fourth quarter of 2022.
• Comparable sales, on a 13-week basis, were down 5.4% on an owned basis and down 4.2% on an owned-plus-licensed basis.
• Highlights of the company's nameplates include:
  • Macy’s comparable sales, on a 13-week basis, were down 6.0% on an owned basis and down 4.7%, on an owned-plus-licensed basis.
    • The Macy’s nameplate saw strength in beauty, particularly fragrances and prestige cosmetics, and its Backstage off-price business while women’s shoes saw continued softness along with relatively weaker performance in cold-weather apparel and accessories.
  • Bloomingdale’s comparable sales, on a 13-week basis, were down 1.5% on an owned basis and down 1.6% on an owned-plus-licensed basis.
    • The Bloomingdale’s nameplate saw strength in beauty, women’s contemporary sportswear and the Bloomingdale’s the Outlets business, while men’s and designer handbags continued to be soft.
  • Bluemercury comparable sales, on a 13-week basis, were up 2.3% on an owned basis.
    • The Bluemercury nameplate continued to see strength in skincare and color cosmetic categories.
• Other revenue of $255 million, down $64 million.
  • Represented 3.1% of net sales, 80 basis points lower than the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • Net credit card revenue declined 26% from 2022 to $195 million. As expected, the decline was driven by the impact of higher net credit losses in the portfolio.
• Gross margin for the quarter was 37.5%, up from 34.1% in the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • Merchandise margin improved 260 basis points year over year, primarily due to lower clearance markdowns.
  • Delivery expenses as a percentage of net sales improved 80 basis points from the prior year, reflecting better inventory allocation and ongoing efforts to improve the supply chain.
• Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expense of $2.4 billion, a $51 million decrease from the fourth quarter of 2022.
  • SG&A expense as a percent of total revenue was 28.7%, 10 basis points higher compared to the fourth quarter of 2022 due to lower total revenue.
  • SG&A expense dollars benefited from the company’s commitment to ongoing expense discipline, partially offset by investments in the business.

Full-Year 2023 Highlights

Comparisons are to full-year 2022 unless noted otherwise. Comparisons to 2019 are provided, where appropriate, to benchmark performance. Financial highlights are reported on a 53-week basis for 2023 and a 52-week basis for 2022 unless otherwise noted. Please refer to note 1 within the financial tables regarding reclassifications of certain prior year metrics.

• Diluted earnings per share of $0.38 and Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $3.50.
  • This compares to a diluted earnings per share of $4.19 and an Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $4.48 in 2022.
• Net sales of $23.1 billion, down 5.5% versus 2022.
  • Digital sales decreased 7% versus 2022.
  • Brick-and-mortar sales decreased 5% versus 2022.
• Comparable sales, on a 52-week basis, down 6.9% on an owned basis and down 6.0% on an owned-plus-licensed basis versus 2022.
• Customer counts for the company’s nameplates totaled:
  • 41.2 million active customers shopped the Macy’s nameplate
  • 4.0 million active customers shopped the Bloomingdale’s nameplate
  • Approximately 711 thousand active customers shopped the Bluemercury nameplate
• Other revenue of $774 million, down $233 million from 2022.
  • Represented 3.4% of net sales, 70 basis points lower than 2022.
  • The year-over-year decline, as expected, reflects the impact of higher net credit losses in the portfolio.
• Gross margin for the year was 38.8%, up from 37.4% in 2022.
  • Merchandise margin improved 80 basis points from 2022 largely due to lower clearance markdowns and improved freight costs, partially offset by changes in category mix and elevated shortage.
  • Delivery expense as a percent of net sales improved 60 basis points from 2022 primarily due to improved carrier rates from contract renegotiations and improvements in inventory allocation.

• Inventory was up approximately 2% versus 2022 and down approximately 16% versus 2019.
  • Inventory turnover for the year decreased approximately 2% versus 2022 and increased approximately 12% versus 2019.
• SG&A expense of $8.4 billion, a $86 million decrease from 2022.
  • SG&A expense as a percent of total revenue was 35.1%, 190 basis points higher than 2022, driven by the year-over year decline in total revenue.
  • The decrease in SG&A expense dollars reflects continued expense discipline, partially offset by investments in the business.
  • The year-over-year change also includes the impact of minimum wage increases for store colleagues that were fully implemented as of May 1, 2022.

A Bold New Chapter

Today, the company also announces, A Bold New Chapter, a strategy designed to challenge the status quo to fundamentally reposition the company, enhance the customer experience, deliver growth and unlock shareholder value. Developed by the Macy’s, Inc. leadership team, with the full support of the board of directors, the strategy aligns the organization to reinvigorate relationships with customers through improved shopping experiences with relevant assortments and compelling value. Details of the strategy can be viewed at www.macysinc.com/investors.

“Over the past several years, we have taken proactive actions to fortify our operations, including strengthening our balance sheet, managing expenses and tightening inventory controls,” said Adrian Mitchell, chief operating and chief financial officer, Macy��s, Inc. “The dedicated work of our teams delivered a solid close to 2023 and provides a strong foundation for us to execute A Bold New Chapter.”

Financial Highlights

2024 Guidance

Macy’s, Inc. introduces 2024 guidance in a transition and investment year that reflects continued operational progress and investments in key customer-focused initiatives in support of its new strategy. The full outlook for 2024, presented on a 52-week basis, can be found in the presentation posted to www.macysinc.com/investors.

Adjusted diluted EPS excludes any potential impact from the proposed credit card late fee ruling. Additionally, the impact of any potential future share repurchases associated with the company’s current share repurchase authorization is not considered.

The company does not provide reconciliations of the forward-looking non-GAAP measures of comparable owned plus licensed plus marketplace sales change and adjusted diluted earnings per share to the most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP measures because the timing and amount of excluded items are unreasonably difficult to fully and accurately estimate. See Important Information Regarding Financial Measures.

Conference Call and Webcasts

A webcast of Macy's, Inc.’s call with analysts and investors to report its fourth quarter and full-year 2023 sales and earnings will be held today (February 27, 2024) at 8:00 a.m. ET. Macy’s, Inc.’s webcast, along with the associated presentation, is accessible to the media and general public via the company's website at www.macysinc.com/investors. To participate in the call, analysts and investors may call 1-877-407-0832. A replay of the conference call will be available on the company’s website or by calling 1-877-660-6853, using passcode 13744146 about three hours after the conclusion of the call. Additional information on Macy’s, Inc., including past news releases, is available at www.macysinc.com/pressroom.

Important Information Regarding Financial Measures

Please see the final pages of this news release for important information regarding the calculation of the company’s non-GAAP financial measures.

About Macy’s, Inc.

Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE: M) is a trusted source for quality brands through our iconic nameplates – Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury. Headquartered in New York City, our comprehensive digital and nationwide footprint empowers us to deliver a seamless shopping experience for our customers. For more information, visit macysinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

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 Macy’s 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 Macy’s ability to successfully implement A Bold New Chapter strategy, including the ability to realize the anticipated benefits within the expected time frame or at all, conditions to, or changes in the timing of proposed real estate and other transactions, prevailing interest rates and non-recurring charges, the effect of potential changes to trade policies, store closings, competitive pressures from specialty stores, general merchandise stores, off-price and discount stores, manufacturers’ outlets, the Internet and catalogs and general consumer spending levels, including the impact of the availability and level of consumer debt, possible systems failures and/or security breaches, Macy’s reliance on foreign sources of production, including risks related to the disruption of imports by labor disputes, regional or global health pandemics, and regional political and economic conditions, the effect of weather, inflation, and labor shortages, the amount and timing of future dividends and share repurchases, our ability to execute on our strategies or achieve expectations related to environmental, social, and governance matters, and other factors identified in documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the captions “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 28, 2023. Macy’s 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.

MACY’S, INC.

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 adjusting for the impact of 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, and in evaluating the impact of changes in the manner in which certain departments are operated. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) is a non-GAAP financial measure which the company believes provides meaningful information about its operational efficiency by excluding the impact of changes in tax law and structure, debt levels and capital investment. In addition, management believes that excluding certain items from EBITDA, net income and diluted earnings per share that are not associated with the company’s core operations and that may vary substantially in frequency and magnitude from period-to-period provides useful supplemental measures that assist in evaluating the company's ability to generate earnings and to more readily compare these metrics between past and future periods.

The company does not provide reconciliations of the forward-looking non-GAAP measures of comparable owned plus licensed sales change and adjusted diluted earnings per share to the most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP measures because the timing and amount of excluded items are unreasonably difficult to fully and accurately estimate. For the same reasons, the company is unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information, which could be material to future results.

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.

Non-GAAP financial measures, excluding certain items below, are reconciled to the most directly comparable GAAP measure as follows:

• EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are reconciled to GAAP net income.
• Adjusted net income is reconciled to GAAP net income.
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share is reconciled to GAAP diluted earnings per share.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Share

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