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 FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR SALES
·
Fourth
Quarter Total Sales Increased 15.1 Percent
·
Fourth
Quarter Comparable-Store Sales Increased 2.5 Percent
·
Fourth
Quarter Earnings Per Share Expected to Increase 10 to 15 Percent,
within our previous guidance
NEW YORK, NY, February 3, 2005 – Foot Locker, Inc.
(NYSE: FL), the New York-based specialty athletic retailer, today reported
sales for the 13-week period ended January 29, 2005 of $1,535 million, versus
$1,334 million in the comparable period last year, an increase of 15.1 percent. For this same 13-week period, comparable
store sales increased 2.5 percent.
For the 52-week period fiscal year ended January
29, 2005, sales increased 12.0 percent to $5,355 million, from $4,779 million
in the Company’s corresponding period last year. For the same 52-week period, comparable-store sales increased 0.9
percent.
Excluding the effect of foreign currency
fluctuations, total sales for the 13-week and 52-week periods increased 12.9
percent and 9.8 percent, respectively.
“Fourth quarter comparable-store sales were in
line with our expectations and reflected a significant improvement in results
during the final six weeks of the period,” stated Matthew D. Serra, Foot
Locker, Inc.’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Both our U.S. and international stores contributed to this
improving sales trend, which continued throughout the month of January. We currently expect our fourth quarter
diluted earnings per share from continuing operations to increase 10 to 15
percent versus the comparable period of last year, within our previous
guidance.”
Foot Locker, Inc. plans to report fourth quarter
2004 and year-to-date results on Tuesday, March 1, 2005. A conference call is scheduled on Wednesday,
March 2, 2005 for 10:00 a.m. EST to discuss these results and provide guidance
with regard to its earnings outlook for 2005.
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, March 14, 2005. 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 18 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.
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Disclosure Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains
forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s current views of future
events and financial performance. 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, risks associated with foreign global sourcing, including
political instability, changes in import regulations, disruptions to
transportation services and distribution, and the presence of severe acute
respiratory syndrome, 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, including its
plans for the marquee and launch footwear component of its business, and its
plans for the integration of the Footaction stores. 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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