DILLARD'S, INC.
DDSBusiness Summary
Dillard's, Inc. operates within the fashion apparel, cosmetics, and home furnishing retail industry, ranking among the nation's largest retailers in this space. The company also operates a general contracting construction company, CDI Contractors, LLC, a portion of whose business includes constructing and remodeling stores for the Company. The retail merchandise business is conducted under highly competitive conditions, with numerous competitors at the national and local level including specialty, off-price, discount and Internet retailers. Competition is characterized by many factors including location, reputation, merchandise assortment, advertising, price, quality, operating efficiency, service and credit availability.
The Company has numerous competitors nationally, locally and on the Internet, including conventional department stores, specialty retailers, off-price and discount stores, boutiques, mass merchants, and Internet and mail-order retailers. Some of its competitors are larger than it with greater financial resources. The Company believes its stores are in a strong competitive position with regard to location, reputation, merchandise assortment, advertising, price, quality, operating efficiency, service and credit availability. Its merchandise selections include lines of exclusive brand merchandise such as Antonio Melani, Gianni Bini, GB, Roundtree & Yorke and Daniel Cremieux, which provide a benefit by offering fashionable, higher quality product often at a savings compared to national brands, while minimizing costs and differentiating merchandise offerings from other retailers.
The Company generates revenue primarily through the sale of merchandise at its 271 Dillard's stores, including 28 clearance centers, and its Internet store at dillards.com. Revenue is transactional in nature, recognized at the point of sale. The Company also generates income through its long-term marketing and servicing alliance with Citibank, N.A. for the private label credit card program, receiving ongoing cash compensation based upon the portfolio's earnings. Additionally, the Company's construction segment, CDI Contractors, generates revenue from general contracting construction contracts, recognized using the cost-to-cost method. The Company's primary customer segments are individual consumers shopping for fashion apparel, cosmetics, and home furnishings.
The Company's retail operations segment offers a wide selection of merchandise including fashion apparel for women, men and children, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings and other consumer goods. For fiscal 2025, the percentage of net sales by major product line within the retail operations segment was: cosmetics 16%, ladies' apparel 20%, ladies' accessories and lingerie 14%, juniors' and children's apparel 9%, men's apparel and accessories 19%, shoes 14%, and home and furniture 4% 1. The construction segment, CDI Contractors, contributed 4% of total net sales in fiscal 2025 2. The Company's exclusive brand merchandise sales penetration for fiscal 2025 was 22.3% of total net sales 3.
During fiscal 2025, the Company closed its location at The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano, Texas (240,000 square feet). The Company received cash proceeds of $25.7 million 4 and recorded a related gain of $20.4 million 5 primarily from the sale of five properties: a 240,000 square foot location at The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano, Texas, a 150,000 square foot non-operating location at Crossroads Center in Waterloo, Iowa, a non-operating building at Towne West Square in Wichita, Kansas, a non-operating building at Golden Triangle Mall in Denton, Texas, and a parcel of land at Rivergate Mall in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. The Company repurchased 0.3 million 6 shares of Class A Common Stock for $107.8 million 7 at an average price of $359.16 per share 8. The Company paid $484.9 million 9 in dividends, highlighted by the largest special dividend in its history. The Board of Directors declared a special dividend of $30.00 per share 10 that was paid on the Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock. The Company also contributed $34.3 million 11 to its mall joint ventures.
For fiscal 2025, the Company reported net income of $570.2 million 12 compared to $593.5 million 13 for fiscal 2024. Total retail sales for fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024 were $6.232 billion 14 and $6.219 billion 15, respectively, and were unchanged as a percentage. Sales in comparable stores for the same period were also unchanged. Consolidated gross margin for both fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024 was 39.5% of sales 16. Retail gross margin for fiscal 2025 was 40.8% of sales 17 compared to 41.0% of sales 18 for fiscal 2024. Consolidated selling, general and administrative expenses for fiscal 2025 were $1,759.2 million 19 (27.2% of sales 20) compared to $1,731.2 million 21 (26.7% of sales 22) for fiscal 2024. Cash flow from operations was $717.0 million 23 for fiscal 2025 and $714.1 million 24 for fiscal 2024.
Business Outlook
The Company expects to finance its operations in the short-term and the long-term from cash on hand, cash flows generated from operations and, if necessary, utilization of its revolving credit facility. The Company expects the fiscal 2026 federal and state effective income tax rate to approximate 23% 25. The Company expects to make a contribution to the pension plan of approximately $8.5 million 26 in fiscal 2026. The Company expects pension expense to be approximately $26.1 million 27 in fiscal 2026. During fiscal 2026, the Company expects to accrue interest expense of $19.7 million 28 on its long-term debt and $15.0 million 29 on its subordinated debentures.
The Company and Citi remain focused on collaborative strategies to enhance customer awareness and acceptance of the program's product offerings in an effort to improve the financial performance of the Citibank Alliance. The Company expects to grow its private label merchandise program and has invested in its development and procurement resources and marketing efforts related to these exclusive brand offerings. The Company will continue to use existing technology and research to edit merchandise assortments by store to meet the specific preference, taste and size requirements of each local operating area.
The Company's current non-operating priorities for its use of cash are strategic investments to enhance the value of existing properties, stock repurchases and dividend payments to stockholders. While the Company currently expects to continue paying quarterly cash dividends during fiscal 2026, all prospective dividends are subject to and conditional upon the review and approval of and declaration by the Board of Directors. As of January 31, 2026, authorization of $165.2 million 30 remained under the May 2023 Stock Plan share repurchase program. The Company expects to finance its operations in the short-term and the long-term from cash on hand, cash flows generated from operations and, if necessary, utilization of our revolving credit facility.
Inflation continues to be a concern for management, impacting many areas of the Company's operating expenses. The Company was affected by inflation during fiscal 2025 and 2024, and its business will likely be affected by inflation in fiscal 2026, the extent of which depends on its customers' continuing ability and willingness to accept price increases. Inflation and changing trade restrictions, including tariffs, pose a risk to the Company's operations. A number of economic and geopolitical factors are affecting the U.S. and world economies, including war and other armed conflicts, fluctuating energy prices, trade restrictions (including tariffs), inflation and the continuing impact of elevated United States wages.
Risk Factors
The retail merchandise business is highly competitive, and if the Company is unable to maintain its competitive position, it could experience downward pressure on prices, lower demand for products, reduced margins, and the loss of market share. The Company's business is seasonal, with a significant portion of sales and income typically realized during the last quarter of its fiscal year due to the holiday season, and fluctuations during this period can have a disproportionate effect on results of operations. The Company has approximately 71 stores along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts that are self-insured for property and merchandise losses related to named storms, meaning repair and replacement costs will be borne by the Company for damage to these stores. The income and cash flow from the Citibank Alliance is dependent upon factors including the level of sales on Citi accounts, the level of balances carried, payment rates, finance charge rates, and the level of credit losses, all of which can vary based on changes in federal and state banking and consumer protection laws and economic factors the Company cannot control. A significant disruption in the Company's information technology systems and network, including from cyberattacks and ransomware, could materially adversely affect its operations and financial condition.
Management Priorities
Management's message in the Executive Overview characterized fiscal 2025 as a respectable performance, noting net income of $570.2 million 31 and a focus on maintaining gross margin performance in a rapidly changing merchandising environment characterized by unpredictable costs. Management emphasized that shareholder return remained a priority, highlighted by paying $484.9 million 32 in dividends, including the largest special dividend in the Company's history, and repurchasing $107.8 million 33 of stock. Management stated that the Company held approximately $1.1 billion 34 in cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments at year end and remained in a strong financial position. The Company expects the fiscal 2026 federal and state effective income tax rate to approximate 23% 35.
View Source Annual Report on SEC.gov ↗
References
- [1] Item 1, Business — Percentage of Net Sales by Segment and Major Product Line
- [2] Item 1, Business — Percentage of Net Sales by Segment and Major Product Line
- [3] Item 7, MD&A — Exclusive Brand Merchandise
- [4] Item 7, MD&A — Investing Activities
- [5] Item 7, MD&A — Gain on Disposal of Assets
- [6] Item 7, MD&A — Stock Repurchase
- [7] Item 7, MD&A — Stock Repurchase
- [8] Item 7, MD&A — Stock Repurchase
- [9] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [10] Item 7, MD&A — Dividends
- [11] Item 7, MD&A — Investing Activities
- [12] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [13] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [14] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [15] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [16] Item 7, MD&A — Key Performance Indicators
- [17] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [18] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [19] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [20] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [21] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [22] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [23] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [24] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [25] Item 7, MD&A — Income Taxes
- [26] Item 7, MD&A — Pension obligations
- [27] Item 7, MD&A — Pension obligations
- [28] Item 7, MD&A — Long-term Debt
- [29] Item 7, MD&A — Subordinated Debentures
- [30] Item 5, Market for Registrant's Common Equity — Repurchase of Common Stock
- [31] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [32] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [33] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [34] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [35] Item 7, MD&A — Income Taxes
- [36] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Income
- [37] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Income
- [38] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Income
- [39] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Income
- [40] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Income
- [41] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Income
- [42] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Income
- [43] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Income
- [44] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Income
- [45] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Income
- [46] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Income
- [47] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Income
- [48] Item 7, MD&A — Key Performance Indicators
- [49] Item 7, MD&A — Key Performance Indicators
- [50] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
- [51] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
- [52] Item 8, Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
- [53] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [54] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [55] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [56] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [57] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [58] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [59] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [60] Item 7, MD&A — Dividends
- [61] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [62] Item 7, MD&A — Executive Overview
- [63] Item 7, MD&A — Dividends
Analysis on 6/8/2026