Eastern Blizzard Snows In February Sales

An uncertain economy and an East Coast blizzard that shut down stores during the critical Presidents’ Day sales weekend stalled retail sales in February.

Department stores such as Federated, Nordstrom and Sears said the snowstorm resulted in sales decreases and temporary store closures. Sears reported it had been forced to shut down 130 stores and several key distribution centers. The closures helped drag samestore sales down 9.4 percent, according to the company.

Even department stores that posted gains, such as Menomonee, Wis.-based Kohl’s Corp., said the storm had disrupted sales during the holiday weekend.

There were some bright spots among the department stores. Little Rock, Ark.-based Dillard’s saw a modest same-store sales increase of 3 percent. And Neiman Marcus Group announced a 2.5 percent increase in same-store sales. The Dallas-based retailer, however, said those gains were caused by a shift in the company’s promotional calendar, and, as a result, it expects March sales will be weak.

A big winner for February was San Francisco-based Gap, which reported an 8 percent increase in same-store sales. Among the beach-themed West Coast specialty chains, Anaheim, Calif.-based retailer Pacific Sunwear continued its hot streak with same-store sales of 14.8 percent, but Foothill Ranch, Calif.-based Wet Seal reported a staggering 31.5 percent drop in same-store sales. —Alison A. Nieder