Earnings Call Transcript
Macy's, Inc. (M)
Earnings Call Transcript - M Q4 2025
Operator, Operator
Greetings, and welcome to the Macy's, Inc. Fourth Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call. As a reminder, this call is being recorded. I would now like to turn the call over to Pamela Quintiliano, Vice President of Investor Relations. Pamela, you may now begin.
Pamela Quintiliano, Vice President of Investor Relations
Thank you, operator. Good morning, everyone, and thanks for joining us. With me on the call today are Tony Spring, our Chairman and CEO; and Tom Edwards, our COO and CFO. Along with our fourth quarter 2025 press release, a Form 8-K has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the presentation has been posted on the Investors section of our website, macysinc.com and is being displayed live during today's webcast. Unless otherwise noted, the comparisons we provide will be versus 2024. All references to our prior expectations, outlook or guidance refer to information provided on our December 3 earnings call. On today's call, we will refer to certain non-GAAP financial measures. Reconciliations of these measures can be found in our earnings presentation and SEC filings available at www.macysinc.com/investors. All references to comp sales throughout today's prepared remarks represent comparable owned plus licensed plus marketplace sales or OLM unless otherwise noted. Go-forward Macy's, Inc. comparable sales and other go-forward metrics include Macy's go-forward locations in digital and Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury nameplates inclusive of stores in digital. As a reminder, we recently announced an update to our non-GAAP financial disclosures, the details of which are available in the Form 8-K filed on February 18. These changes do not impact our historical or future GAAP metrics and disclosures. The updated disclosures, which encompass comparable sales, OLM dollar sales, revenues and non-GAAP earnings are intended to both simplify disclosures and provide increased clarity on the key metrics that support our growth profile and go-forward operating performance. For fourth quarter and full year 2025 results, we reported non-GAAP earnings consistent with previous disclosures and prior guidance. All prior and updated non-GAAP metrics will be available in our investor presentation located on our website. Beginning with the first quarter of fiscal 2026, adjusted earnings metrics will reflect our new non-GAAP metrics. Please note that all forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations and assumptions mentioned today. A detailed discussion of these factors and uncertainties is contained in our filings with the SEC. Today's call is being webcast on our website. A replay will be available approximately 2 hours after the conclusion of this call. With that, let me turn it over to Tony.
Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO
Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us today. 2025 was a year of transformation. Solid execution of our Bold New Chapter strategy, supported by our strong balance sheet drove enterprise-wide improvements. We're gaining measurable traction and delivering meaningfully positive results. As we look back on 2025, we achieved several major milestones. First, we returned to positive comparable sales for total Macy's, Inc. and Macy's nameplate, marking an important inflection point. Second, we achieved better-than-expected top line and bottom line results in every quarter, demonstrating strong and consistent execution. And third, we delivered adjusted diluted EPS well above our most recent guidance. Results were also above our initial guidance despite the unanticipated impact of tariffs and lower-than-expected asset sale gains. I'm thankful to our colleagues. Their leadership, talent and commitment are the driving force behind our performance. Our teams have worked collaboratively with our partners to deliver the Bold New Chapter. And together, we are making meaningful progress towards our long-term sustainable profitable growth. Now let me provide a brief overview of fourth quarter results before turning to our full year performance and fiscal 2026 expectations. In the fourth quarter, Macy's, Inc. net sales, comparable sales and core adjusted EBITDA all exceeded guidance. Results were driven by better-than-expected performance across key line items and positive go-forward comparable sales at each nameplate, led by Bloomingdale's impressive 9.9% growth. Adjusted diluted EPS of $1.67 was well above our guidance range of $1.35 to $1.55. During the fourth quarter, customers responded favorably to our merchandising, marketing and promotional events, supported by an improved omnichannel shopping experience. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade drew a record 34 million-plus viewers and had over 3 billion earned social media impressions, up about 30% to last year. We leveraged the power of the parade into our retail offerings. Holiday destination categories, including fragrances, jewelry and handbags outperformed. Other highlights included women's contemporary, denim, dresses and children's. At Bloomingdale's, our Happy Together campaign generated roughly 15 billion unique impressions per month in earned media for November and December. Our Burberry and Bloomingdale's partnership generated buzz through its in-store pop-ups and exclusive products. While almost every category had positive comps in the quarter, standouts included fragrances, women's contemporary, designer apparel and fine jewelry. Fourth quarter performance wrapped up a successful second year of our Bold New Chapter strategy. For fiscal 2025, we exceeded expectations on all key line items, including net sales, comparable sales, EBITDA and core adjusted EBITDA. And adjusted diluted EPS of $2.32 was well above our most recent guidance of $2 to $2.20. Now let's review how our strategic pillars drove annual results, beginning with strengthening and reimagining Macy's. Macy's nameplate achieved 0.6% go-forward comparable sales growth, representing a 190 basis point improvement versus last year and a 690 basis point improvement on a 2-year basis. Performance was led by the Reimagine 125 locations in digital. The Reimagine 125 comparable sales grew 1%. Stores that have received initiatives delivered positive comps in 7 of the past 8 quarters and serve as a strong proof point of our ability to return to growth. Performance reflects our customer-led focus, including clear and purposeful changes at Macy's. We've improved our assortment relevancy. We're investing in staffing and events, and we're leveraging local market strengths. These initiatives are having a halo effect on Macy's omnichannel business and contributing to positive digital comparable sales results. Speaking of digital, Macy's digital channel represents approximately 1/3 of our annual sales. It is benefiting from a modernized macys.com inspired by what we're doing in stores. Over the past year, we have shifted to a more editorialized approach that reinforces our fashion authority and facilitate shopping across categories that drives commerce. Across stores and digital, we are emphasizing products and experiences. Our inventory composition and in-stocks have improved. We have a better balance of newness and evergreen product and have further refined our assortments and brand matrix. In 2025, we introduced 60 new brands, including Abercrombie Kids, MfK, BCBG and Good American. At the same time, we expanded distribution on top existing brand partners such as Avec Les Filles, Sam Edelman and Donna Karan, while we continue to edit less productive brands. Our omnichannel customer experience is supported by investments in our colleagues. We've rolled out enhanced education, a tiered approach to staffing and events, and dedicated frontline colleagues to specific merchandise areas. In addition, we're taking a more localized approach to provide store-level empowerment and deliver against direct customer preferences in each of the markets we serve. This year, we achieved our best Net Promoter Score on record. We're proud of the results and our deep customer engagement. We had approximately 900,000 respondents participate in surveys throughout the year, and we remain committed to continuous improvement. As I reflect on 2025, Macy's has a clear, well-defined strategy that is gaining traction. When combined with our strong financial foundation, I am confident we can further build momentum. Now turning to our second pillar of strategy, accelerating and differentiating luxury. In 2025, Bloomingdale's achieved 7.4% comparable sales growth, representing a 490 basis point improvement versus last year and a 1,030 point improvement on a 2-year basis. Strength was broad-based across stores and digital with growth in almost all product categories. Our Bloomingdale's strategy is anchored on being the local leader in the markets we serve. We have a clear emphasis on discovery, newness and connection with the premium contemporary to luxury customer. Over the past year, we have raised the bar on curation. At the same time, we've deepened brand partnerships and further invested in experiences. This approach is resonating. We continue to gain market share across brands, categories and regions. Our unique multigenerational audience is drawn to our inviting and vibrant shopping environment and compelling assortments. During the year, we introduced new brands, including Toteme, Christian Louboutin, Victoria Beckham Beauty, SKIMS, Messika, and Vuori, just to name a few. These brands have inspired existing customers, attracted new ones and further strengthened Bloomingdale's relevancy. It's an exciting time at Bloomingdale's. Our team is strong and has never felt better. We have a highly loyal and engaged customer base and excellent vendor partnerships. We also have an omnichannel roadmap for growth. Recent performance demonstrates how a disciplined focus, clear brand strategy and consistent execution can drive results. We are well positioned to build on this foundation and deliver sustained performance. Rounding out the conversation on luxury, Bluemercury achieved 1.6% annual comparable sales growth. Results continue to be driven by dermatological skincare and fragrances, including SkinCeuticals, Dr. Diamond's Metacine, Sisley Paris and Parfums de Marly. We're also encouraged by the performance in our new stores, which continue to post growth as we iterate on assortments and develop each store's client base. The third pillar of our strategy is simplifying and modernizing end-to-end operations to improve customer service and drive greater efficiencies. Initiatives are delivering results. As our business continues to evolve, we are expanding the aperture of end-to-end to encompass a broader view of organizational excellence and operational efficiency. This continues to incorporate the use of AI, where we are building capabilities throughout the organization. The team has walked me through over 35 different use cases, all of which are designed to support how customers shop and how our colleagues serve them, and I'm excited about what's to come. Looking to fiscal 2026, we are focused on the factors in our control. We continue to execute our Bold New Chapter strategy. We'll build on what's been working, including our go-forward fleet, product and brand relevancy and our improved omnichannel experiences and messaging. This will be supported by our strong culture and seasoned leadership team. At Macy's, we're confident in the Reimagine location's ability to deliver profitable growth. Earlier this year, we introduced initiatives to an additional 75 locations, creating the Reimagine 200. Now nearly 60% of our go-forward Macy's store base has the full suite of initiatives, accounting for roughly 75% of our go-forward Macy's store sales, delivering meaningful scale to our overall business. 2026 is a year of milestones. We have the 50th anniversary of our 4th of July Fireworks and the 100th anniversary of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and we will be top of mind during these key moments as well as many others. We are calling 2026 Celebrations Start at Macy's. In addition to the large-scale events that the whole country celebrates with us, we also have localized strategies designed to engage customers, generate excitement, increase brand loyalty and enhance the shopping experience. We had our first celebration, Prom Starts Here, last Saturday. Customers at Herald Square and our stores across the country were able to meet their favorite content creators, explore curated prom edits, attend beauty master classes and personalize their looks. These activations drove social engagement and our overall sales. Prom is just one of the many events that Macy's will host for the entire family this year. And Macy's is not celebrating alone. Last week, Bloomingdale's launched its spring fashion campaign, California Love, featuring unique experiences, exclusive products and community-driven moments. At its heart is Surf Shop, a new Carousel spotlighting California-owned and inspired product. The Carousel introduces 16 new California brands, 270 limited-time exclusives from customer favorites, including Vince, Citizens of Humanity, AGOLDE, Staud, Simkhai, FRAME, and MOTHER, and it also has an AQUA and Lisa Says Gah collaboration. Bloomingdale's has strong momentum with multiple levers for continued growth. We are a partner of choice, allowing us to introduce more new relevant and exclusive brands while expanding our points of distribution with existing brands. Our immersive shopping environment, which invites customers to spend the day with us, are differentiated and resonate across geographies. With stores in just 14 of the top 50 designated U.S. markets, there is significant room for expansion of small-format Bloomies and outlets, and we are methodically evaluating all opportunities. I am confident in our ability to further expand our position as a leading modern luxury shopping destination. Now I would like to discuss the consumer and our approach to 2026 guidance. Thus far, our customers have remained resilient, and we are pleased with our quarter-to-date results. Our customers across nameplates skew more towards the middle and upper income tiers. Performance remains stronger in these cohorts, while the lower tiers remain more choiceful. As we look ahead, there are many macroeconomic and geopolitical factors that could influence discretionary spend. While we remain confident in our strategy and believe we are well positioned to build on our recent momentum, we are taking a prudent approach to guidance. Our first quarter and fiscal 2026 guidance ranges support our go-forward growth initiatives while preserving flexibility to respond to changes in the competitive landscape and consumer demand. To close, our commitment to the Bold New Chapter is unwavering. It is delivering results. We have achieved 4 consecutive quarters of better-than-expected top line and bottom line performance and 3 consecutive quarters of comparable sales growth led by our go-forward Macy's and Bloomingdale's business. In 2026, we are well positioned to deliver further progress. Looking further ahead, our proven initiatives, strong execution, strategic clarity and customer focus should drive sustainable growth and unlock future value creation. Now let me turn it over to Tom.
Tom Edwards, COO and CFO
Thanks, Tony, and good morning, everyone. We are encouraged by our fourth quarter performance, which capped off a year of meaningful advancement of our Bold New Chapter strategy. For both the quarter and the full year, we achieved better-than-expected net sales, comparable sales, go-forward comparable sales, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted diluted EPS. Let's begin with a detailed view of the fourth quarter. Macy's, Inc. net sales of $7.6 billion were above our guidance range of $7.35 billion to $7.5 billion and compared to $7.8 billion last year. Excluding the approximately $200 million impact from the 64 non-go-forward stores that closed at the end of fiscal '24, Macy's, Inc. sales grew 0.9%. Macy's, Inc. comparable sales rose 1.8%, materially above our guidance for down 2.5% to flat, led by go-forward business comparable sales growth of 2% compared to guidance of down 2% to flat. By nameplate, Macy's go-forward comparable sales rose 0.6%, including Reimagine 125 growth of 0.9%. Both the first 50 and next 75 locations were positive. Bloomingdale's comparable sales rose 9.9%, benefiting from its best holiday result on record, and Bluemercury comparable sales increased 1.3%. Turning to revenue. Macy's, Inc. total revenue was $7.9 billion, down 1.1% to last year. Similar to net sales, the decline was entirely attributable to last year's store closures. Revenues included $277 million of other revenue comprised of credit card and Macy's Media Network. Credit card revenue was $205 million, up 17.1% versus the prior year, driven by our healthy credit portfolio. And Macy's Media Network revenue was $72 million, up 12.5%. Gross margin was $2.7 billion or 35.2% of net sales compared to 35.7% last year. Excluding an approximately 60 basis point tariff impact, which was in line with our expectations, gross margin rate would have expanded about 10 basis points. For the quarter, AUR continued to rise, driven by a favorable mix shift and positive consumer response to newness. SG&A expense of $2.4 billion declined $23 million or 1% from last year. The decline reflected the net benefit of the 64 closed Macy's locations and ongoing expense savings initiatives. It was partly offset by investments in our go-forward business, which we view as critical to driving healthy and sustainable top line growth. As a percent of total revenue, SG&A expense was 29.8% compared to 29.7% in the prior year. During the quarter, we recognized $3 million of asset sale gains. This compared to our expectation for $15 million to $20 million and $41 million last year and reflects the shift in timing of certain transactions. We remain committed to optimizing our go-forward fleet and being disciplined in our approach to closing underproductive stores. With that, looking at fourth quarter earnings, adjusted EBITDA was $840 million or 10.6% of total revenue. This compares to $903 million or 11.3% last year. Adjusted EPS of $1.67 exceeded the high end of our guidance range of $1.35 to $1.55, including a tariff impact of approximately $0.13 and a roughly $0.04 impact from lower-than-expected asset sale gains. Performance was supported by our disciplined approach to cash flow, balance sheet and capital allocation. Let's start with cash flow. Macy's, Inc. generates robust operating cash flow on an ongoing basis. This supports our capital allocation priorities. For the year, operating cash flow was $1.4 billion versus $1.3 billion last year, and free cash flow was $797 million versus $679 million last year. This represents a free cash flow yield of over 15%. We achieved higher free cash flow despite monetization proceeds of $107 million compared to $283 million last year and ended the year with $1.2 billion of cash on our balance sheet. During the year, our balance sheet was further strengthened via a series of financing transactions. We now have no material long-term debt maturities until 2030. Our adjusted debt to adjusted EBITDAR leverage ratio remains below our 2.5x target, which reinforces our financial flexibility. At year-end, inventories were $4.4 billion, down 1.3% from last year. Heading into spring, we feel good about our composition. We have more newness, less aged goods and open-to-buy flexibility to respond to market dynamics and trends. Turning to capital expenditures. We are focused on supporting growth and efficiencies and improving our customer experience. We evaluate all initiatives based on return on investment. For 2025, capital expenditures were $740 million, down from $882 million in 2024. The reduction in year-over-year spend primarily reflected the completion of several longer-term projects, including our China Grove distribution center, which opened last year. Looking ahead, we continue to believe there are compelling investment opportunities to support and accelerate our long-term growth profile. Our capital allocation priorities are clear and consistent. First, invest in the business to support the Bold New Chapter strategy; second, manage our balance sheet leverage and liquidity; third, return cash to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. For the year, we returned $448 million to shareholders, including $197 million of cash dividends. Since reinstating our regular quarterly dividend in 2021, our annual payout amount has risen 27%. In addition to the quarterly dividend, in 2025, we repurchased $251 million of shares, including $50 million in the fourth quarter. This leaves approximately $1.1 billion remaining on our authorization. As we reflect on 2025, we made significant progress towards achieving our long-term goal of sustainable profitable growth. Before turning to guidance, I want to share a few observations from my first 9 months. Starting with the team, I have been impressed by our talented colleagues. Their dedication, skill and expertise, combined with the willingness and urgency to drive the business forward is delivering results. Beyond our teams, I believe Macy's, Inc. has significant underappreciated capabilities in areas such as data science, AI and technology. And our Macy's ecosystem is a fundamental strength, which I'll describe in more detail shortly. With these observations as a backdrop, my focus and approach is clear: support the execution of what is already working, adjust direction and adapt where needed and build on our strengths and opportunities to accelerate growth. There are 3 specific areas that highlight these learnings and approach that are incorporated into our plans for 2026 and beyond. The first area is our Macy's store portfolio. One of my top priorities has been to carefully evaluate the Macy's base, including current performance, future potential and real estate value considerations. We are taking a pragmatic approach and are committed to running an optimized fleet that can profitably grow. Based on our assessment, our target go-forward fleet remains approximately 350 locations. These will form a cohesive market-by-market framework that supports our broader Macy's omnichannel business. We still plan to exit approximately 65 locations, completing the previously announced 150 closures. With our strong balance sheet and cash flow generation, we can be flexible on timing of transactions in order to maximize value of remaining assets, we now expect closures through 2028. The second area is related to organizational excellence and operational efficiencies of our end-to-end operations. Our end-to-end initiatives are working. We have materially improved delivery times and now share specific delivery expectations with our customers. Following our multiyear network modernization efforts, our new state-of-the-art China Grove distribution facility has streamlined and automated how we work and will provide better customer service and reduce costs to serve. Building on this as a base, we believe there is significant opportunity to leverage AI throughout the organization, including supply chain, merchandising, marketing and call centers as well as in customer-facing and omnichannel areas. Now let's discuss the Macy's ecosystem. I've been impressed with our deep customer knowledge. We connect with nearly 40 million customers annually, giving us visibility to over 70% of transactions. This is enabled by our stores, digital channels, loyalty and credit card programs in addition to Macy's Media Network, marketing and events. They are all interconnected and provide value to our customers and to Macy's, Inc. Having spent many years across the retail, consumer goods and hospitality industries, this ecosystem is a unique strength. Now before turning to guidance, as a reminder, on February 18, we filed an 8-K updating our non-GAAP metrics and definition of non-GAAP earnings, which now excludes noncash asset sale gains and benefit plan income. These measures illustrate sequential improvement and a return to growth and are intended to simplify reporting to better focus on our go-forward business performance. Moving to guidance. We entered the year well positioned. Our inventories have a relevant mix of categories and brands across a variety of price points. This is supported by compelling marketing campaigns and events that are designed to activate and engage customers. For our guidance, we are taking a prudent approach, giving ourselves flexibility to respond to changes in the competitive landscape and external environment as well as macroeconomic and geopolitical unknowns. As we look at 2026, a few considerations. The tariff environment continues to evolve. Our first quarter outlook largely reflects rates before recent changes as prior tariffs are incorporated in our existing inventory cost basis. For the second quarter and rest of the year, our outlook assumes similar tariffs remain in place. With that, for the full year, we expect net sales of approximately $21.4 billion to $21.65 billion. Macy's, Inc. comparable sales to be in a range of down approximately 0.5% to up 0.5%, other revenue of about $920 million, gross margin as a percent of net sales to be 38.3% to 38.6%. We expect tariff impact to gross margin of roughly 20 to 30 basis points. We begin to lap higher tariffs in the second quarter. We expect gross margin rate to be down in the first quarter and up in the second through fourth quarters. SG&A to be up 1% to 2% on a dollar basis to last year, below the rate of inflation. Please keep in mind that planned spend reflects investments to support sustainable top line growth, including enhancements to the omnichannel shopping experience across nameplates and in talent. We are not benefiting from as meaningful an SG&A reduction from closed stores on a year-over-year basis with 14 closures in fiscal '25 compared to 64 in fiscal '24. We are also maintaining our always-on expense savings approach. Based on seasonality of spend, we expect the highest SG&A dollar growth in the first and third quarters. We expect adjusted EBITDA as a percent of total revenue of 7.7% to 7.9% versus 7.9% in fiscal 2025 and interest expense of roughly $110 million. And we expect adjusted diluted EPS of $1.90 to $2.10. This does not include potential future share buybacks. It does incorporate a roughly $0.10 to $0.20 tariff impact and compares to adjusted diluted EPS of $2.15 in the year ago period. For the first quarter, we expect net sales of approximately $4.575 billion to $4.625 billion. Macy's, Inc. comparable sales are expected to be up approximately 0.5% to 1.5%, adjusted EBITDA as a percent of total revenue of 4.9% to 5.1% versus 6.3% last year and adjusted EPS of negative $0.01 to positive $0.01 compared to $0.11 last year. We expect tariffs to negatively impact EPS by roughly $0.05 to $0.10 and gross margin rate by roughly 40 to 60 basis points. In conclusion, we ended 2025 on a strong note. Better-than-expected fourth quarter results across key metrics underscore the strength and promise of our Bold New Chapter strategy. We have proven initiatives in place, supported by our solid free cash flow, balance sheet and capital allocation strategy. As we look to 2026, we are well positioned to thoughtfully navigate the near term, deliver our long-term goals and provide meaningful value to our customers and shareholders. Now I will turn the call back to Tony for closing remarks.
Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO
Thanks, Tom. The Bold New Chapter strategy is centered on creating a more focused, resilient company. It balances the art and science of retail. We combine customer insight, data and creative merchandising to meet customers where they are. Recent performance reflects accelerating momentum across each pillar of our strategy and reinforces our confidence in the direction. We have a clear path to growth. Our balance sheet relationships and initiatives position us to build on recent financial and operational success and pursue new opportunities. And with that, operator, we're now ready for questions.
Operator, Operator
Our first question today is coming from Blake Anderson of Jefferies.
Blake Anderson, Analyst
Congrats on the nice quarter here. I wanted to ask Tony to start, given the continued macro and consumer volatility, just how are you feeling about the ability for Macy's, Inc. to be more resilient going forward despite the headwinds to the consumer? And what gives you confidence you can continue to build on the momentum you made this past year?
Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO
Thanks, Blake, for the question. I feel terrific about how we closed 2025, growth across Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury, Reimagine stores continuing to outperform 7, 8 quarters of growth, Bloomingdale's running on all cylinders, growth in digital, growth in physical, growth in full price and growth in off-price. And we end the year with a healthy balance sheet and inventories below the prior year. There is a lot of uncertainty. And so our guidance reflects this tension between how good we feel about our strategy, how good we feel about our team and the level of uncertainty relative to macro and geopolitical environment. So I feel good about the things that we control. The team is clear-eyed and focused on delivering for the customer, making sure that we build on the Net Promoter Scores that we are at record levels and the level of traction that we're getting across all 3 nameplates.
Thomas Edwards, COO and CFO
And Blake, I'd just add here that we have a business model that puts us at an advantage in this situation. We're multi-brand, multi-category, multichannel sort of off-price to luxury, so we can react and adjust depending on circumstances to serve the consumer and meet their needs.
Blake Anderson, Analyst
Great. And Tom, if you could add on AUR versus units. Just curious how you think about that for the guide this year.
Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO
Sure. Happy to. So we've been very pleased with AUR continuing to grow, and we saw that continue in Q4 as well as in Q3 and before that. And it's really a reflection of our strategy to improve our assortment to bring in better brands, to reimagine our stores, to modernize our digital channels. So we're feeling good that that trend will continue, and that's included in our expectations going forward. Overall, basket is also increasing. So while units may be down slightly, we're seeing an overall basket in our consumer buying more on a dollar basis. We see traffic steady and more predictable. And on the conversion side, maybe a slightly more choiceful consumer, but feel good about going forward from an AUR perspective.
Operator, Operator
Our next question is coming from Matthew Boss of JPMorgan.
Matthew Boss, Analyst
So Tony, can you elaborate on the performance at Bloomingdale's over the last two quarters? How much of this do you think is due to execution versus luxury consolidation? Also, what do you expect for Macy's banner comparisons for next year within the flat consolidated guidance? Tom, could you discuss the top line guidance for the first quarter considering the 100 basis points of moderation included in the full year? How much of this reflects current business trends compared to the macro uncertainty you've taken into account for the full year guidance?
Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO
Thanks, Matt. Look, we feel terrific about the Bloomingdale's business. There is every indication that the growth continues because it's so broad-based. It's in the apparel business. It's in the home business. It's in the accessories business. It's in our flagship stores. It's in our smaller stores. It's off-price and Bloomies. The vendor community has rallied around Bloomingdale's like never before. They are delivering for their customers at an exceptional level right now. So we are continuing to fund from both a capital and from an SG&A standpoint, the growth potential of Bloomingdale's. It's important to the overall architecture of Macy's, Inc.'s go-forward business. So I feel strong about the opportunity for Bloomingdale's. The disruption in the marketplace only gives more fuel to the fire. Relative to Macy's, I'm pleased that we are to 200 stores now in the Reimagine program. That's 60% of our go-forward Macy's fleet and 75% of the Macy's store go-forward sales. You've moved from test to iterate to now we're at the scale point. And I think the Reimagine program has the opportunity to continue to deliver comp growth for the Macy's brand. As we mentioned on the call, our digital business at Macy's is healthy, 1/3 of our business and growing with a nice balance between 1P and 3P. So the external environment is where we have concern. The performance of our business relative to the fourth quarter, the first quarter so far and the broad-based growth across all 3 nameplates gives us confidence in what we control.
Thomas Edwards, COO and CFO
And Matt, I’ll continue with the quarter Q1 trends and into the rest of the year. We are encouraged by Q4 performance. Our consumer base tends to be higher income, and we’re observing their resilience. The trends are continuing into Q1, which we’re pleased about. However, we are aware of the broader external environment and aim to take a careful and measured approach to guidance. Additionally, we still have 60% of the quarter, in terms of volume, left to go. When considering the rest of the year, we are examining our comparisons over multiple years. Based on that, they are more evenly distributed throughout the year. We are thoughtfully considering this as we provide guidance for the full year based on those comparisons. Nevertheless, we are very confident in our strategies and continue to build on the momentum from our Bold New Chapter as we progress through the year.
Operator, Operator
Our next question is coming from Brooke Roach of Goldman Sachs.
Brooke Roach, Analyst
Tony, with some competitors leaning into value in a bigger way this year, what actions are you taking to appeal to a more price-sensitive consumer amidst the inflationary macro backdrop in '26. What are your plans for promotion and marketing on this?
Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO
Thanks, Brooke, for the question. We see value as an essential part of our overall business model as a department store, specifically at Macy's. It's important to remember that we have Backstage, regular promotional events, and a private brand portfolio that provides significant value across different categories. Therefore, it's always about finding the right balance. We aim to offer promotions to attract customers looking for deals while also catering to those seeking higher-end brands and a variety of price points within our entire portfolio, including both first-party and third-party offerings, and from off-price to full price across Macy's and Bloomingdale's. I believe we are well-positioned, and we hold ourselves and the market accountable to maintain this balance. We are taking a comprehensive approach to cater to all consumer levels by focusing on good, better, and best options across every brand type and price point to ensure we are effectively reaching diverse customers.
Brooke Roach, Analyst
Great. And then just a follow-up for Tom. Can you detail the puts and takes to gross margin this year beyond tariffs? What are the core operational drivers of the improvement that you're forecasting? And how should we be thinking about the cadencing and magnitude of that improvement as you move into the back half?
Thomas Edwards, COO and CFO
Sure. Thank you for the question, Brooke. The core underlying performance looks stable, with our full-year guidance indicating a flat change of up to 20 basis points, while tariffs account for an impact of 20 to 30 basis points. The overall trend remains positive, and we anticipate strong improvement in gross margin as the year progresses. We expect to see some of this in the first quarter, although there will be a slightly higher tariff impact of 40 to 60 basis points during this period. The factors contributing to our gross margin performance are the fundamental initiatives of our Bold New Chapter, including enhancing our product assortment, introducing better brands, and improving customer experiences across both our physical stores and digital platforms. These actions are expected to support the average unit retail and gross margin as we advance. We foresee this positive trend continuing throughout the year, although we have not provided specific quarterly guidance. Nonetheless, we do expect the overall trend to remain favorable, consistent with our strategy.
Operator, Operator
Our next question is coming from Dana Telsey of Telsey Advisory Group.
Dana Telsey, Analyst
Good morning, everyone, and nice to see the progress. Bloomingdale's 59th Street, that fourth floor looks terrific with the brand expansion. On the Macy's additional 75 stores being added to the Reimagine bucket, how are you thinking about the progression there versus the original stores that you added to the bucket? Do you expect the same type of results? Is there a different timing, different things you would add up or down? And then just on the number of store closures this year, how many will there be in 2026? And are you thinking of any number of store openings even for the smaller Bloomies?
Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO
Thank you, Dana, for your question. We are very proud of the Reimagine program and its contributions. We have experienced growth in 7 of the last 8 quarters from the Reimagine initiative, starting with the first 50 locations. As we introduced the next 75 stores beginning in February, we rolled out various tactics over the first few weeks of the spring season. This includes adding more colleagues in the stores, expanding our brand assortment, improving store execution, enhancing storytelling, and hosting localized events. Throughout this program, we've made adjustments before reaching full scale. Rather than imposing a top-down approach for every aspect, we are empowering local leaders in the new stores and revisiting the original ones to determine the best ways to utilize our staff. Additionally, we are focusing on customizing local events to better connect with our consumer base. We also recognize the importance of visual presentation and storytelling in driving regular price sales and promoting the new brands we are incorporating into our assortment. I'll let Tom address the store closures.
Thomas Edwards, COO and CFO
Thanks for the question on the store closures, Dana. So as we look at the non-go-forward stores, our goal is to have an optimized fleet on a market-by-market basis that supports our broader Macy's omnichannel business. And we've rigorously evaluated the future current performance of our stores and the real estate value. As a result, we're extending the closure timing of the remaining approximately 65 stores through 2028. While we don't provide in advance closure guidance, I would look to that 3-year time frame for the remaining approximate store closures. And that will allow us to wait for the most favorable real estate market in order to get the most value for our shareholders and for our business. And the way we can do that is we can be patient because of our strong balance sheet and cash flow and still invest in the business to drive our overall growth. As a result of this, we're expanding and increasing our cash expectations from this initiative from a previous $500 million to $650 million to a total of $650 million to $700 million. And that leaves us after we've monetized approximately $400 million, $250 million to $300 million to go, which is worth about $1 a share. We look forward to running an optimized fleet that will support our broader business going forward.
Operator, Operator
The next question is coming from Oliver Chen of TD Cowen.
Oliver Chen, Analyst
Tom, which categories contributed to the positive performance this quarter? Additionally, what is your perspective on private brands? More specifically, what do you believe is required to achieve consistent comparable sales growth above 2% to 3%? Lastly, regarding AI, what is currently operational in terms of use cases and key performance indicators? I understand AI is being utilized in supply chain, customer experience, and the marketplace. Do you have insights on how you're assessing the effectiveness in these areas? The Media Network demonstrated strong growth potential, possibly reaching $500 million to $1 billion. I would appreciate your thoughts on that as well.
Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO
Thanks, Oliver. So in terms of categories, let me start there. Good to see the growth in women's contemporary apparel at both Macy's and Bloomingdale's, continuing to see the strength in the dress business and the tailored clothing business, which I think underscores the dress-up and return to office and the mix of both a little bit dressier and casual tops and bottoms. Seeing growth in the accessory category, particularly fine jewelry, lab-grown diamonds, watches. So we feel good that there's a broad-based interest in fashion across a multitude of categories. Fragrances, obviously, a strength for both brands. Private brands is still an area of development. So we're still at the 12% or so of our total business. And we have reworked all of these brands. And I would say that the team is keenly focused on improving the quality and improving the value offering despite the impact of tariffs. I'll let Tom cover the future 2% to 3%. We're obviously not guiding that in 2026. But I think we intend to be a growth company. We are reworking the framework of this portfolio because we believe we can be a growth company. And the fact that we had growth in Macy's, Inc., growth at Macy's, growth at Bloomingdale's, growth at Bluemercury says that we're on the right track. I would just close with AI for us is an opportunity to combine the improvements in technology and data science with humanity and deliver a relationship-oriented business that is focused on the consumer. Our initiatives are focused on growing the business, on providing a simpler experience for our customers and our colleagues and taking cost and driving efficiency throughout the operation. So it's not any one initiative. We are not buying shiny objects. We are solving problems and helping the overall business grow and improve the architecture of how we run the business. Tom, what would you add?
Thomas Edwards, COO and CFO
On the positive comps, Oliver, I think there are a number of things that are already growing and we can continue to expand on. First is bringing in better brands and having a more relevant assortment. That is working, and I think we have a long runway there to continue to expand. The other is to look at our overall owned, licensed, marketplace. And we've been in our new 8-K sharing our OLM sales and focus more on OLM comp because we can and are managing the business across all different areas. That's how the consumer shops us. They don't know exactly where it may be coming from or who owns the inventory, but we can create the best experience and provide more relevant assortment across all of our different means of delivering to the customer. The last thing I talk about, which I mentioned in the script is this Macy's ecosystem. I think there's a huge value here. And I talk and see the 40 million customers we know of that are in our loyalty programs. We know not just what they're buying on a given day, but what their history is and what their preferences are. And that's where I look at the credit card, the Macy's Media Network and our knowledge and our capabilities in AI and data science that are all coming together, I believe, very nicely with strength to allow us to build and scale up in this area.
Oliver Chen, Analyst
Follow-up. Digital has been impressive. It's a big percentage of mix. What should we know about profitability rate versus dollars and any initiatives we should focus on gentlemen?
Thomas Edwards, COO and CFO
Thank you, Oliver. Digital is a very important part of our business, making up about one-third of it. This segment is benefiting from our overall initiatives in stores as we enhance our brands. We are also focused on modernizing the look and feel of our digital platforms to establish a presence of fashion authority that aligns with our Bold New Chapter. Moving forward, we plan to continue growing this area alongside the rest of the business. It is profitable, and we are pleased to sell through both stores and digital channels. I want to emphasize that our stores serve as the foundation of our business, providing a market-by-market presence that supports our digital efforts and integrates everything into a cohesive system.
Operator, Operator
Our next question is coming from Paul Lejuez of Citi.
Paul Lejuez, Analyst
Curious what it cost from a CapEx and SG&A investment to bring a store into the Reimagine program and also what kind of sales and EBIT dollar risk do you expect in year 1 and year 2, and then apologies if I missed it, but can you talk about CapEx plans for F '26, just how that breaks down?
Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO
Let me take the first part of that, Paul. We're pleased that we achieved growth in 7 out of 8 quarters within the Reimagine program, and we're adding 75 more stores while continuing to see positive comparable sales quarter-to-date. Currently, 60% of our Macy's on-going fleet is part of the Reimagine program, contributing to 75% of store sales. This initiative is beneficial to our overall strategy. Tom and I are focused on ensuring we see a return on our investments. The stores remain capital light, requiring minimal to no capital expenditure in the initial phase. For operating expenses, we tailor them to each location based on its volume and the expected additional sales potential. We have refined our approach to blend art and science, ensuring our improving Net Promoter Score in these locations translates to an enhanced customer experience and a more successful business.
Thomas Edwards, COO and CFO
Paul, I want to expand on the Reimagine stores as they were integrated into the company. I'm looking to gain a clearer understanding of the returns on these investments and the level of funding involved. A thorough analysis was conducted to evaluate their performance. We've observed that these investments are indeed fostering growth, as highlighted by Tony, with Reimagine stores seeing growth in seven out of the last eight quarters. We're also experiencing a strong return on investment that aligns with our expectations as we move forward. Furthermore, as we refine our approach, we will enhance our resource allocation and improve returns. This year, our capital expenditures decreased as we finalized some major projects, particularly the new distribution facility in China Grove. Looking ahead to next year, we anticipate capital expenditures of around $800 million, primarily to enhance Bloomingdale's, which presents a significant growth opportunity, both through organic growth and potential new store openings, as Tony mentioned earlier. Additionally, we are investing in Macy's stores, technology, and supply chain improvements.
Paul Lejuez, Analyst
Just one other P&L item. You gave some guidance on the other line, but can you talk about the split between credit card and media revenues? And maybe anything you could share about the underlying health of the credit card portfolio.
Thomas Edwards, COO and CFO
Sure. I'd be happy to. So our guide for other revenue is approximately $920 million. It's up 7% versus prior year. And both the credit card and Macy's Media network are very healthy. When we look at the credit card, we're up 24% in 2025, and that's due to a big improvement in the net credit quality of our customers. As we look forward, we expect it to grow along with the business. And our portfolio remains healthy. We're getting higher applications and working very carefully across digital and in stores to expand usage. Macy's Media Network, we expect to grow relatively stronger, and that is supported by our whole business and all of our partner brands and others in addition to an Amazon ad initiative that we announced earlier. And I'd also just like to add with a note that we call it other revenue, but it's really an integral part of the business. I want to say that the credit card and the Macy's Media Network exists because of the broader Macy's business and customers and brand strength, and we look forward to talking about it more in the future.
Operator, Operator
Our next question is coming from Simeon Siegel of Guggenheim.
Simeon Siegel, Analyst
Did you say traffic was up and how much was AUR up in Q4? And then, Tom, just really helpful to get the go-forward breakdown and framing. Can you help us think about maybe following up on the credit card revenues, how do we think about how credit card revenues are associated with go-forward versus non go-forward? And then maybe similar, how should we think about the gross margin SG&A profiles for the go-forward versus non-go-forward businesses? I'm assuming that the latter is going to be a healthier margin. So that would be helpful.
Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO
Sure. Thanks, Simeon. In Q4, we continue to see, as we've seen through the year, AUR being positive versus prior year, driven by our Bold New Chapter initiatives. In the quarter, we did have some weather events and traffic was a little softer. But overall, as you can see by our results, we were pleased that we're growing and continue to grow revenue and comp sales. From a credit card basis, our credit card exists across the whole business, and we're very careful as we're looking at go-forward versus non-go-forward to make sure we maintain a market presence on a store basis as well as a digital basis. So I wouldn't expect a material change as a result of our go-forward initiatives. And similarly, on a GM basis, our non-go-forward stores are profitable. We have to call them underproductive, but we're really looking at them from a can we grow them profitably over the long term. And I wouldn't look at a major difference in gross margin between the 2.
Thomas Edwards, COO and CFO
I would just add that the traffic outside of the weather event was essentially flat in stores and up online across all three of our brands, and our average unit retail continues to improve and increase across all three brands, mainly due to the mix of products rather than just the impact of tariffs.
Simeon Siegel, Analyst
That's great. That's really helpful. And then any help how to think about go-forward store expectations by banner?
Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO
Go-forward store expectations by banner? When you're talking go-forward, mainly talking about the Macy's banner, and we plan to close an additional 65 stores over the next 3 years. In the 8-K that we provided that updated our disclosure metrics, we're really pleased to focus on our OLM go-forward sales. And I would say this shows a significant improvement over the last 3 years, in '23 down almost 6%, in '24 down almost 1% and this year up 1.7%. So I'd focus on a return to growth for those businesses.
Operator, Operator
Our next question is coming from Michael Binetti of Evercore ISI.
Michael Binetti, Analyst
Could you walk us through some of the flow-through metrics in the first quarter EBIT guidance? It seems like you're targeting EBIT down about 130 to 150, whereas it was only down 20 basis points in the fourth quarter. The first quarter comparisons are still slightly positive, and the tariffs have a similar impact to the fourth quarter. I'm curious about what deteriorates a bit in the first quarter. Additionally, could you explain how the Reimagine 200 stores contribute to the comps in your 2026 guidance and how that evolves from the first quarter throughout the rest of the year? When we consider the difference between the Reimagine store performance and the overall business comps, as you expand to more stores and roll out initiatives sequentially through the year, does the Reimagine concept start to differentiate and push the comps higher? Do we expect that gap to widen?
Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO
Thanks for the question, Michael. I'll take the first part and the Q1 flow through to EBIT. So we are seeing gross margin impacted by tariffs, 40 to 60 basis points and expect gross margin on the whole to be down in the quarter, but importantly, up through the remainder of the year. The other change is in SG&A. We are expecting some additional investments in SG&A through the year, including in Q1, and those are really to support and drive growth. Our investments have driven growth in the past, and we're looking forward to continue to invest, including in the Reimagine 200 to continue that pace. So that's really the key difference.
Thomas Edwards, COO and CFO
And relative to the Reimagine stores, Mike, you have a convergence that I think begins to happen by the time you get to the latter part of the year and certainly going into next year where the majority of our fleet is in the Reimagine program. And while they continue to outperform the remainder of the go-forward fleet, the differential is smaller. But we expect comp growth in our Reimagine stores, and that will help build our confidence for growth in the Macy's brand going forward.
Operator, Operator
Our next question is coming from Bob Drbul of BTIG.
Robert Drbul, Analyst
I guess 2 questions for me. The first one is can you outline a bit around the progress that you think you're making with younger consumers. I think you mentioned the prom event, but just sort of where you're really focused and what you're seeing with that consumer segment? And I guess the second question I have is just around some of the newer brands that you're bringing in. Can you just detail a bit on full price selling and sort of what you're seeing with the promotional environment versus your ability to obtain full price as you sort of work through the program?
Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO
Sure. Thanks, Bob, for the question. Continuing to focus on 5 different generations that are shopping with us, we believe we have a tremendous opportunity with the next generations of customers. As you mentioned, we held a prom event in over 200 locations, had tremendous turnout, activating high schools across the country, continue to be a resource and destination for Sweet 16. As I mentioned, 25,000 people getting married registered at Bloomingdale's. 75% of them are in the Gen Z and Gen Alpha, I guess more so Gen Z kind of population. But other categories like time pieces, fragrances tend to skew younger and I think give us the opportunity to continue to grow with that cohort. We are a destination for first job, first home, marriage and the moments in life that I think expose you to these multiple generations of consumers. The newer brands, we're very pleased with. And I think the best indication of our full price sell-through and of our performance is the fact that the brands are expanding distribution with us and adding more stores. We believe in the breadth of good, better, best. We need to have the right mix of assortment and opening price point as well as not undershoot the customer in terms of their interest in most wanted or sought-after brands. So we want to have that breadth of Polo Ralph Lauren and Coach and Reiss and Theory. And at the same time, we want to have the right good and better brands within our mix so that we can be a destination for customers that are looking for a variety of brands and price points.
Thomas Edwards, COO and CFO
And Bob, I'd add that we ended the year with inventories down and in a very good position with increased newness, and we have ample open to buy, so we can chase into these trends should they occur and also flexibility otherwise. So we're looking to maintain our flexibility to deliver against these consumers.
Operator, Operator
Our next question is coming from Jay Sole of UBS.
Jay Sole, Analyst
Tom, 2 questions for you. One is you just talked about some of the SG&A investments. If you could elaborate a little bit more on what you're spending on. And then within the interest expense guide of $110 million for fiscal '26, can you just maybe talk about what's driving that? I think interest expense was $20 million in 4Q. So I was just kind of wondering why it's going up on a run rate basis if we look into '26?
Thomas Edwards, COO and CFO
Sure. I'd be happy to help, Jay. On the SG&A investments, first and foremost, is in the Reimagine 200 as we expand that. And then in others, it's across Macy's and Bloomingdale's and investments in digital and our technology areas. As I look at this year's SG&A increase of approximately 1% to 2%, it also includes lapping greater savings last year when we had more significant number of store closures impacting the year. In 2024, we closed 64 stores. In the past year, beginning of this year, announced 14 store closures. So that's also a factor in our SG&A. I would say that we maintain an always-on approach to generating savings. We have seen that pay off and deliver results through 2025, and we're continuing that into 2026. From an interest expense point of view, we're really looking at a more consistent. Our overall debt level hasn't changed aside from the refinancing at the very beginning of last year. So we would expect the $110 million or the $100 million very consistent with the prior year.
Operator, Operator
Our next question is coming from Marni Shapiro of Retail Tracker.
Marni Shapiro, Analyst
Congratulations on the impressive presentation of the stores, particularly at Macy's. Can you share insights about the customers visiting Macy's? I know Bloomingdale's has seen trends related to generational shopping; is Macy's experiencing anything similar apart from events like prom? Are younger shoppers returning to the store, and how does this compare to online shopping? Also, could you provide a brief update on the beauty business and any anticipated changes in 2026?
Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO
Sure. We had growth again in the fourth quarter at Bluemercury, finished the year with growth across the nameplate. We are continuing to see the strength of Bluemercury in dermatological skin care and brands that are not as available in more mainstream stores. And as it relates to Bloomingdale's and Macy's, we are absolutely leaning into newness as well as partnering with the major brands on how we make the counter a greater destination, greater interest, how the beauty adviser with the free services offers her consultancy and helps people with their beauty regimen because we know we're seeing back to young people, kids as young as 12, 13, 14, starting a skin care regimen. And the mother is looking for someone to help with that. So you're not just putting anything on your skin, you're trying to find actually what's going to work with your skin. And so we're proud of the breadth of the assortment that we carry and that we continue to expand brands like Sisley and La Mer, and that we also introduce newness from Clarins, as well as play in the color space with brands like Victoria Beckham Beauty and others. Thank you, everyone, for your thoughtful questions. We appreciate the interest in Macy's, Inc., and we look forward to updating you on our progress on the first quarter call. Have a great day and rest of the week. Take care.
Operator, Operator
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your participation. This concludes today's event. You may disconnect your lines or log off the webcast at this time, and enjoy the rest of your day.