Dillard’s did its best to prove the viability of the department store model in the first quarter – sales rose, margins expanded and, perhaps most surprising, a new store opened.
There was growth in all merchandise categories in the period compared to a year ago, helping lift Dillard’s total Q1 retail sales (excluding its construction business) 3% year over year to $1.5 billion. Store comps also rose 3%.
“We are pleased to report a good start to 2026 with a profitable 3% sales growth supported by an increased 45.8% retail gross margin,” CEO William Dillard said in a statement Thursday. “We continue to focus on motivating our customer with newness in our merchandise assortment.”…