CEO says Saks may close a few stores
Tue Mar 23, 2010 12:42pm EDT
* Could close money-losing stores with leases coming due
* Only a few stores meet both criteria - CEO
* Operating margins may return to 2007 levels - CEO
NEW YORK, March 23 (Reuters) - Saks Inc (SKS.N) Chief Executive Stephen Sadove raised the possibility of the luxury department store operator closing a handful of underperforming stores as the retailer seeks to lift margins back to 2007 levels.
Sadove, speaking on Tuesday at an investor conference that was broadcast over the Internet, said Saks could eventually close perennially money-losing locations but that any closings "are predicated on whether there is a lease coming due."
"There are a few stores," which meet both criteria, Sadove said.
Sadove explained that breaking a lease early is a costly proposition for anchor tenants, which typically pay lower rent to mall operators because they draw a critical mass of shoppers to the site.
The company operates 53 Saks Fifth Avenue full-service stores and 55 Off 5th outlet stores in the United States.
Excluding some one-time items, Saks last month reported a surprise quarterly profit on the strength of improving sales over the holiday, and said it expected results to continue improving this year. [ID:nN23241228]
Sadove, at the conference, went on to say that Saks' operating margins could rebound to levels last reached in 2007, before the financial crisis and recession sent luxury spending into a tailspin. In 2007, operating margins were about 4 percent.
Sadove also said Saks "was just scratching the surface" of the potential of the Internet and said online sale could double within a few years. The company does not break out the share of sales that come from its saks.com website.
Saks shares were up 3.4 percent in midday trading, following an upgrade by JP Morgan. [ID:nSGE62M0JN] (Reporting by Phil Wahba; editing by Gunna Dickson)
