From CNBC: 2025-01-13 08:03:05

Lululemon and Abercrombie & Fitch raised their fourth-quarter outlooks after a strong holiday season. Lululemon anticipates sales growth of 11-12%, reaching $3.56-$3.58 billion, up from $3.48-$3.51 billion. Abercrombie expects net sales growth of 7-8% for the holiday quarter and 15% for the full year, a slight drop from last year’s 21% increase.

Lululemon also increased its profit outlook, forecasting earnings per share of $5.81-$5.85, up from $5.56-$5.64. Abercrombie nudged up its net sales growth outlook to 7-8% for the holiday quarter. Abercrombie’s CEO signaled a focus on boosting profits over sales to drive long-term shareholder value.

Macy’s released early results expecting sales to be at or slightly below the range of $7.8-$8.0 billion. Urban Outfitters reported a 10% growth in net sales for the holiday season. Urban’s namesake banner saw a 4% decline in comparable sales, while Anthropologie and Free People experienced growth.

The holiday shopping season was expected to see modest growth, with the National Retail Federation projecting sales to increase by 2.5-3.5%. Real growth, accounting for inflation, was expected to be minimal. Early readings suggest the holiday season may perform slightly better than anticipated.

Retail sales for the holiday season in the U.S., excluding automotive sales, rose 3.8% year over year from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24. Mastercard SpendingPulse reported the increase, indicating a rise in online sales as consumers continue to shop both in-store and online.



Read more at CNBC:: Lululemon, Abercrombie release early 2024 holiday sales numbers