Department Stores Sully an Otherwise Breakout Quarter for Retail

  • Macy’s, Kohl’s, J.C. Penney all reported revenue declines
  • Nordstrom gets a pass as it pulls off expense cuts in quarter
Shoppers ride an escalator near a a J.C. Penney store inside the Westfield Mall in Culver City, California.Photographer: Martina Albertazzi/Bloomberg
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It has been a gangbusters month for retail earnings -- unless you’re a department store.

As Walmart Inc. and Target Corp. raise their full-year profit outlooks and Home Depot Inc. and Lowe’s Cos. signal the American homeowner’s feeling just fine, the department-store industry remains a persistent blemish on the U.S. retail sector.