Nordstrom, Inc. reported a 7.1 percent increase in same-store sales for the four-week period ended April 28, 2012 compared with the year-ago period. Preliminary total retail sales of $802 million for April 2012 increased 10.5 percent compared with total retail sales of $726 million for the same period in fiscal 2011.

First quarter same-store sales increased 8.5 percent compared with the same period in fiscal 2011. Preliminary first quarter total retail sales of $2.53 billion increased 13.7 percent compared with total retail sales of $2.23 billion for the same period in fiscal 2011.

        APRIL SALES RESULTS
        (unaudited; $ in millions)
                                                 Total Retail Sales                   Same-store Sales
                                         -----------------------------------   ------------------------------
                                             Fiscal       Fiscal    Percent                        Nordstrom
                                               2012         2011   Increase    Total   Nordstrom        Rack
                                         ----------   ----------   --------    -----   ---------   ---------
        April                                  $802         $726      10.5%     7.1%        7.0%        7.3%
        First Quarter                        $2,535       $2,229      13.7%     8.5%        9.3%        6.8%
        Number of stores                     Apr-12       Apr-11
                                         ----------   ----------
             Nordstrom                          117          116
             Nordstrom Rack and other           112           95
                                         ----------   ----------
             Total                              229          211
                                         ==========   ==========
        Gross square footage             24,898,000   24,184,000

SAME-STORE SALES

Same-store sales include sales from stores that have been open at least one full year as of the beginning of the fiscal year. Nordstrom includes sales from both full-line stores and Direct because of the integration of these two channels. Total same-store sales include accounting adjustments that are not allocated to Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack. Same-store sales exclude sales made through HauteLook, Nordstrom's online private sale subsidiary, which was acquired in the first quarter of 2011.

EXPANSION UPDATE

In April, Nordstrom opened three Nordstrom Rack stores at Boise Towne Plaza in Boise, Idaho; North Point MarketCenter in Alpharetta, Ga.; and West Farms Shopping Center in Farmington, Conn.

Today, Nordstrom opens a Nordstrom Rack store at Commons at Temecula in Temecula, Calif. Additionally, in May Nordstrom plans to open a Nordstrom Rack store at Willow Grove Park in Willow Grove, Pa.