Nordstrom, Inc. reported a 5.1% increase in same-store sales for the five-week period ended April 2, 2011 compared with the five-week period ended April 3, 2010. Preliminary total retail sales of $897 million for March 2011 increased 10.1% compared with total retail sales of $815 million for the same period in fiscal 2010.

Quarter-to-date same-store sales increased 6.0% compared with the same period in fiscal 2010. Preliminary quarter-to-date total retail sales of $1.50 billion increased 11.0% compared with total retail sales of $1.35 billion for the same period in fiscal 2010.

MARCH SALES RESULTS
(unaudited; $ in millions)
               
  Total Retail Sales     Same-store Sales  
Fiscal
     
Fiscal
     
Percent
           
Nordstrom
 
2011
     
2010
     
Increase
   
Total
     
Nordstrom(1)
     
Rack
 
March $897 $815 10.1% 5.1% 5.5% (0.1%)
 
Quarter-to-date $1,503 $1,354 11.0% 6.0% 7.1% 0.6%
 
 
Number of stores   4/2/11       4/3/10  
Nordstrom 115 113
Nordstrom Rack and other 94 76
Total 209 189
 
Gross square footage         24,021,000       23,067,000  
(1)Nordstrom, formerly referred to as �€�Multi-channel,�€� includes Nordstrom full-line stores and Direct.

EXPANSION UPDATE

In March, Nordstrom opened five Nordstrom Rack stores at The Promenade Shops in Aventura, Fla.; Sunset Valley Village in Austin, Tex.; The Parks at Arlington Mall in Arlington, Tex.; Pacific Commons in Fremont, Calif.; and Carolina Pavilion in Charlotte, N.C.

In April, Nordstrom plans to open a Nordstrom full-line store at Christiana Mall in Newark, Del. and a Nordstrom Rack store at Belmar in Lakewood, Colo. Additionally, Nordstrom plans to relocate its Nordstrom Rack store at Flatiron Marketplace in Broomfield, Colo. to the Twenty Ninth Street shopping center in Boulder, Colo.