N E W S R E
L EA S E
Contact: Peter D. Brown
Vice
President, Treasurer and Investor
Relations
Foot
Locker, Inc.
(212)720-4254
FOOT
LOCKER, INC. REPORTS FIRST QUARTER SALES
·
First
Quarter Comparable-Store Sales Increased 0.5 Percent
·
First
Quarter Earnings Per Share Expected to be $0.36 - $0.37
NEW YORK, NY, May 4, 2006 – Foot Locker, Inc.
(NYSE: FL), the New York-based specialty athletic retailer, today reported
sales for the 13-week period ended April 29, 2006 of $1,364 million, versus
$1,377 million in the comparable period last year, a decrease of 0.9
percent. For this same 13-week period,
comparable store sales increased 0.5 percent.
Excluding the effect of foreign currency fluctuations, total sales for
the 13-week period increased 0.2 percent.
“First quarter comparable-store sales results
were solid in our North American businesses, but continued to be weak in our
European stores which partially reflected our less promotional posture than the
first quarter of last year,” stated Matthew D. Serra, Foot Locker, Inc.’s
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
“In total, our sales fell short of our initial expectations and were
also negatively impacted by European foreign currency exchange rates which were
unfavorable versus the first quarter of last year. As a result, we currently expect that our first quarter 2006
earnings will be in the range of $0.36 to $0.37 per share.”
Foot Locker, Inc. plans to report its first
quarter 2006 financial results on Wednesday, May 17, 2006. A conference call is scheduled on Thursday,
May 18, 2006 for 10:00 a.m. EDT to discuss these results and provide guidance
with regard to its earnings outlook for 2006.
This conference call may be accessed live from the Investor Relations
section of the Foot Locker, Inc. website at http://www.footlocker-inc.com. Please log-on to the website at least 15
minutes prior to the call in order to download any necessary software. The webcast conference call will be
available for replay until 5:00 p.m. Monday, May 22, 2006. News releases are also available on the
Internet at http://www.prnewswire.com
or on Foot Locker, Inc.’s website at http://www.footlocker-inc.com.
Foot Locker, Inc. is a specialty athletic
retailer that operates approximately 4,000 stores in 20 countries in North
America, Europe and Australia. Through
its Foot Locker, Footaction, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker and Champs
Sports retail stores, as well as its direct-to-customer channel
Footlocker.com/Eastbay, the Company is the leading provider of athletic
footwear and apparel.
Disclosure Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements
This
press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
federal securities laws. All statements, other than
statements of historical facts, which address activities, events or
developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the
future, including, but not limited to, such things as future capital
expenditures, expansion, strategic plans, dividend payments, stock repurchases,
growth of the Company’s business and operations, including future cash flows,
revenues and earnings, and other such matters are forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are based on many assumptions and factors
detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including the effects of currency fluctuations, customer demand, fashion
trends, competitive market forces, uncertainties related to the effect of
competitive products and pricing, customer acceptance of the Company’s
merchandise mix and retail locations, the Company’s reliance on a few key
vendors for a majority of its merchandise purchases (including a significant
portion from one key vendor), unseasonable weather, economic conditions
worldwide, any changes in business, political and economic conditions due to
the threat of future terrorist activities in the United States or in other
parts of the world and related U.S. military action overseas, the ability of
the Company to execute its business plans effectively with regard to each of
its business units, risks associated with foreign global sourcing, including
political instability, changes in import regulations, and disruptions to
transportation services and distribution. Any changes in such assumptions or
factors could produce significantly different results. The Company undertakes no
obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events, or otherwise.
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