Nordstrom March Same-Store Sales Increase 5.5 Percent

SEATTLE, April 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) today reported preliminary sales of $657.3 million for the five-week period ending April 2, 2005, an increase of 6.7 percent compared to sales of $616.3 million for the five-week period ending April 3, 2004. Same-store sales increased 5.5 percent(1).

Preliminary quarter-to-date sales of $1.1 billion increased 7.6 percent compared to 2004 quarter-to-date sales of $1.0 billion. Quarter-to-date same-store sales increased 6.3 percent.

SALES RECORDING

To hear Nordstrom's prerecorded March sales message, please dial 402-220-6036. This recording will be available for one week.

    SALES SUMMARY
    (unaudited; $ in millions)
                                  Total Sales         Same-store Sales(1)
                                                              Full-
                         Fiscal     Fiscal  Percent   Total    line   Rack
                           2005       2004 Increase  Retail  Stores Stores

    March                $657.3     $616.3     6.7%    5.5%    3.7%  15.4%
    Quarter-to-Date    $1,122.7   $1,043.7     7.6%    6.3%    4.5%  16.7%

    Number of stores
        Full-line            95         93
        Rack and other       56         56
        International
         Faconnable
         boutiques           31         31
        Total               182        180
    Gross
     square
     footage         19,550,000 19,289,000


    BALANCE SHEET AND CASH FLOW RESTATEMENTS

Tomorrow, April 8, 2005, Nordstrom is planning to file an amended Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2004, along with an accompanying Form 8-K report, in order to correct two errors in previously issued balance sheet and cash flow statements. The corrections relate to an evaluation of Nordstrom's lease accounting policy, which was first announced along with fourth quarter earnings in February. Previously reported net earnings, earnings per share, shareholders' equity and long-term debt are not impacted by these corrections.

FUTURE REPORTING DATES

Nordstrom's financial release calendar for the next several months is currently planned as follows:

April Sales Release Thurs., May 5, 2005
First Quarter Earnings Tues., May 17, 2005
Shareholder Meeting Tues., May 24, 2005
May Sales Release Thurs., June 2, 2005
June Sales Release Thurs., July 7, 2005

Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the nation's leading fashion specialty retailers, with 151 US stores located in 27 states. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 95 full-line stores, 49 Nordstrom Racks, five Faconnable boutiques, one free-standing shoe store, and one clearance store. Nordstrom also operates 31 international Faconnable boutiques in Europe. Additionally, Nordstrom serves customers through its online presence at www.nordstrom.com and through its direct mail catalogs.

(1) Effective February 2005, Nordstrom Direct sales, which include catalog and Internet, are included in Total Retail same-store sales. To serve as a basis for comparison, as this was not the case last year, a presentation of 2004 monthly, quarterly and full-year same-store sales that includes Nordstrom Direct is available on the Investor Relations homepage of our website under Recent Reports.

SOURCE Nordstrom, Inc. 04/07/2005
CONTACT: investors, Stephanie Allen, +1-206-303-3262, or press, Deniz Anders, +1-206-373-3038, both of Nordstrom, Inc.
Web site: www.nordstrom.com