Financial Analysis of Macy’s Inc. and Nordstrom Essay examples

Macy’s enjoys economies of scale giving them purchasing power with their suppliers and the ability to reduce operating costs by spreading fixed costs over a larger base; due to this process Macy’s buys in bulk which locks in larger discounts they can pass on to the consumer creating a win/win situation. This purchasing power allows them to control a larger section of the market and protects them from smaller retailers purchasing the same product. Macy’s sales equal $27.82B with a gross profit of $11.21B. Most analysts recommended buying Macy’s stock last month with 6 analysts predicting a strong performance. Dillard’s revenue is $6.69B and J.C. Penny Corporation revenue is reported at $12.98B for the same time period. (Macy’s (M), 2014). Macy’s, Inc. is currently trading at $57.11 (Macy’s (M), 2014) with a 52-week high of

Macy’s Inc. is one of the oldest enterprises in the United States, belonging to the department stores industry. (Hoovers.com) It is a national brand, owning 850 department stores. During the development of the company, there had several key decisions that were beneficial for the company. However, in recent years, the competitions in department stores industry become more and more serious.

Unlike Starbucks, Macy’s is not doing very well, as evidenced by the fact they announced last month the impeding closure of 68 stores (Peterson, 2017). The company has been struggling for a few years with the growth of the internet and online businesses such as Amazon making their brick and mortar stores impractical in modern times. While the number of stores may not seem like as much of a problem as it is, as other companies have had to close down more in recent years or go out of business in general, this is a symptom of larger problems in both the company and the industry.

Macy’s, Inc. is known as the Great American Department Store was established in 1858 and now has 810 stores operating in the United States, coast-to-coast. Macy’s stores nationwide are grouped into 69 geographic districts that average ten to twelve stores each. Most stores are located at urban or suburban areas. As of January 30, 2010, the Company’s operations were conducted through four retail operating divisions – Macy’s, macys.com, Bloomingdale’s, and bloomingdales.com. The Company is a retail organization operating retail stores and Internet websites under two brands (Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s) that sell a wide range of merchandise, including men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings and other

Given the net sales in 2011 is still higher than 2010, we can assume the problem is most likely with its operating cost management. On the other hand, HH’s assets turnover rate dropping 0.30 from 2010 suggests an inefficiency of generating more sales with its increased assets in 2011.

The Macy’s Corporation was founded in October 1858, and they are headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The corporation focuses on internet sales in the United States, and they employ 166,900 full-time employees. Macy’s sells a range of merchandise, everything from apparel and accessories for men, women, and children; cosmetics; home furnishings; and other consumer goods. Similar to Kohl’s, Macy’s sells a special range of clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry and footwear. As of January 20, 2016, it operated approximately 900 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico under the Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Bloomingdale’s Outlet, Macy’s Backstage, and Blue Mercury names; as well as Websites, including macys.com, bloomingdales.com, and bluemercury.com (M Profile | Macy 's Inc. Common Stock - Yahoo! Finance). In addition, Macy’s operates as a

Through the 70’s the company continued to grow. In 1974 annual sales hit $130 million. By 1980 Nordstrom was the third largest specialty retailer in the country. Sales hit $407 million and in the next few years, sales continued to rise. Nordstrom’s success was due to many factors. Shoes accounted for about 18 percent of total sales. In addition Nordstrom consistently maintained huge inventories and selection, which were usually twice the size of other department stores. Anchor malls seek the company, as a cornerstone of downtown renovation projects or as an added jewel for high end shopping customers. By being able to expand not only by adding locations, but also by expanding merchandise sold, Nordstrom became a dominant force in the industry and strengthened their market share position.

First of which, is the current ratio. It has been rapidly declining since 2000. To me this indicates that there is a liquidity issue. Each year their trade debt increase exceeds the increase of net income for the company. As a result, the working capital has taken a nosedive from $58,650 in 2002 to only $5,466 in 2003.

Increase in current liabilities Substantial increase in current liabilities weakened the company’s liquidity position. Its current liabilities were US$2,063.94 million at the end of FY2010, a 48.09% increase compared to the previous year. However, its current assets recorded a marginal increase of 25.07% - from US$1,770.02 million at the end of FY2009 to US$2,213.72 million at the end of FY2010. Following this, the company’s current ratio declined from 1.27 at the end of the FY2009 to 1.07 at the end of FY2010. A lower current ratio indicates that the company is in a weak financial position, and it may find it difficult to meet its day-to-day obligations.

The annual report and 10-K filings were obtained from macys.com. The financial statements included in the annual report are as follows: consolidated statements of operations, consolidated balance sheets, consolidated statements of changes in shareholders’ equity, consolidated statement of cash flows, and notes to consolidated financial statements. In the report, Macy’s Inc. recognizes several competitors which are Bed Bath & Beyond, Belk, Bon Ton, Burlington Coat Factory, Dillard’s, Gap, J.C. Penney, Kohl’s, Limited, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks, Sears, Target, TJ Maxx and Wal-Mart. The top three

Macy’s Inc. has a very strong network all over in the United States under its two main brand names but the company has very weak geographic presence. All of its business functions are in the United States. Any changes in the economic, political, legal, and social framework of the country will have direct impact on the business operations of Macy’s Inc. and its profitability will suffer many folds.

Macy’s has been around for 100 years, currently operating over 700 stores nationwide, and exploring the idea of expanding globally. A company that has that much experience, assets, and capitals are not likely to be bankrupted. With that being said, the current path and strategy that Macy’s is taking now is slowly killing the company. Their revenue stream has been decreasing to be multiple reasons, controllable and non-controllable. Macy’s should redesign their strategy to reach new markets because their current one is not responding to them as much. As many selections as there are in Macy’s, I think that they should try and carry more at a cheaper rate to encourage the loyal customers for that brand to go to Macy’s. I think the lead time for

Nordstrom is classified as an Upscale Independent Department Store Chain and is noted as one of the largest department stores of its type. Nordstrom is founded in 1901 by two partners, John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. It’s headquarter is in Seattle, Washington area. Nordstrom carries a wide variety of merchandise and specialty goods, which includes apparel, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, handbags, accessories, and in some locations, home furnishings. Nordstrom is dealing with competition on many different levels. It is competing with higher end stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. In addition, it is also competing with second tier stores such as Macy’s, Dillard’s,

The financial data will support the strategy as the ratios and numbers show that Macy’s has resources and capital available for the implementation. Evaluation of external and internal factors positively presenting an opportunity for Macy’s to use designed strategy to and keep competitiveness in the industry. Summarizing Macy’s is a well-established organization with over 150 successful years in business that still has an ability to compete with leaders in the industry if the right

Balance Sheet: Assets, such as Cash and Cash equivalents are up over last year by $20.72 million dollars, whereas Short Term Investments where 0 at the end of 2013 they were slightly up to $1.12 by January 3, 2015. Other Assets shows a drop of $8.26 million dollars, mostly in Property, Plant and Equipment. Based on the 10-K report the balance sheet was in the thousands other web based financial reporting sites show the numbers to be in the millions. Upon further review of the Balance Sheet from the financial website “Watch” the break down in Property, Plant and Equipment shows the biggest difference in the Accumulated Depreciation. (Market Watch) The Vertical Ratio for 2014 Total Current Assets is 3% of the Total Assets and in 2013 was also 3%. The Horizontal Ratio for Total Asset were 37% reflecting a change from 2014 at $212.05 and 2013 $195.61 signaling a significant increase in 2014. The 2015 financial were not completed at the time of this report but the