The Buckle Reports Fall in February Sales

Industry customer The Buckle Inc. saw February sales fall as both its men’s and women’s business faced pressure during the month amid an uptick in prices.
The Buckle’s net sales for the four weeks ended Feb. 25 totaled $82.5 million, which was down 6.1% from the year-ago period. Same-store sales for the same four-week period fell 6.9% compared to a year earlier.
The Kearney, Neb.-based retailer’s February report reverses course on the mostly positive series of monthly performance reports provided to the market over the past 15 months that largely bucked broader business trends.
Both the men’s and women’s business for The Buckle logged declines during the month.
Women’s saw the largest decline in February, with sales dropping 9% year over year, with the business representing about 48% of total revenue for the four-week period, according to the company. Women’s price points rose about 3% during the month.
Men’s total sales fell 5% and represented about 52% of the company’s overall sales. Price points were up about 2.5% on the men’s side.
Within the categories across men’s and women’s, footwear sales slipped 46%. Accessories, meanwhile, rose 21% year over year.
The Buckle operates 439 stores in 42 states. The company is expected to report its fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year results March 10.

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