Sales at Buckle level out in March

By

Robin Driver

Published
Apr 13, 2019

After months of falling sales, Kearney, Nebraska-based youth-focused apparel, accessories and footwear retailer The Buckle, Inc. announced relatively stable revenue figures for March 2019 on Thursday.
 

For the five-week period ended April 6, 2019, the company reported net sales of $82.3 million, flat compared to the prior-year period. Comparable sales saw a slight increase of 0.5%.
 
Year to date, however, net sales fell 3.1% to $141.7 million, compared to the $146.3 million reported in the same nine-week period in the previous year. Comps decreased 2.7%.

Although Buckle has managed to successfully implement a series of measures to reduce its operating expenses, the retailer has been struggling to stimulate its slipping sales in recent quarters.
 
Last month, for example, the company announced decreases in sales and earnings for both the fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2018. The company’s Q4 net sales decreased 6% to $264.4 million, compared to $281.2 million in the equivalent period in the previous year, while quarterly net income was $41.1 million, down from $42.0 million.

Annual net sales decreased 3.1% from $913.4 million to $885.5 million, while full-year net income totaled $95.6 million, or $1.97 per diluted share, down from $89.7 million, or $1.85 per diluted share, in 2017.
 
Buckle currently operates 450 retail locations in 42 US states and has plans to open one new store this year.