Caleres, Inc. (NYSE:CAL) Q3 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

J. Schmidt: Yeah. It really provides a lot of flexibility and really a way to maximize our inventory going directly to the consumers and I would say two things. Number one, the dropship business has continued to grow high double digits during the quarter and we’re seeing that around that 20% of our business. So again, it’s supplemental to the total, but still very, very important significant to the brand portfolios business. The other thing is, is that our order book is actually really in line with where we’ve been going into the quarters, as we go through with so much of it being dynamic now with our dropship and our replenishment business that we’re really seeing more that come through that way. So we feel pretty confident in our order book as we go into spring right now.

Steve Marotta: J, when you say in line, I just want to understand that is that rough flat with last year.

J. Schmidt: Where it is, is we actually it’s in the same percentage of where we’ve gone into each quarter. So it allows us to really capture the rest of it into their. So yes, it’s been in line with I would say historical new normal quarters. I think ’22 is a funny year and it was a little lopsided as we went quarter to quarter, but this really reflects where we’ve been in the third and fourth quarter. So we feel quite confident.

Diane Sullivan: Yeah, and it has evolved, right. We used to look at order brook only. We’ve got to look at the drop-ship capabilities. We look at our own direct-to-consumer businesses. So it’s a mix and all of that is very much in line now with what our outlook looks like. So feeling pretty positive about that and I think, Steve, the other thing on that point is, we really did have the inventory on the brand portfolio this fall, which really helped accelerate our business and when you have a good business going into the next season and that is very helpful as well. So, how that all works.

Steve Marotta: Sure, sure. Excellent. One more question as it pertains to cost and pricing, can you talk a little bit about what is going on in the first half of ’23 and is there the potential actually for sourcing deflation in the second half of twenty ’23 compared to the second half of ’22?

Diane Sullivan: Well, I think I’ll start and J. can add some color to it. I think we’re thrilled with the price elasticity that our brand showed really all through 2022. That price increase of 16% that really stuck on the brand portfolio was I think fantastic. I think our priority for sure there may be some deep deflection and the input costs, but there’s also really going to be additional ocean freight savings and other opportunities. So and Steve, I think, both Jay and Jack would certainly support this point that our focus is absolutely on continuing to hold and maintain these margins going forward. So while we’re going to do everything, there will be some — there will be tailwinds. There will be some headwinds and all-in our goal is to continue to deliver higher growth margin levels.

Jack Calandra: I would say absolutely and then the other thing is we’ll continue to attack that with speed all the way through the reorder system and I think that’ll help us pick up additional scale and savings as we go forward as the supply chain really returns back to what we’ve seen at more normal lead time levels.

Steve Marotta: That’s terrific. Thank you very much.

Diane Sullivan: Thanks Steve. Appreciate it.