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

Laura Champine: Thanks for taking my question and congratulations Diane and welcome again Jay and Jack. I really just have one question and it’s about when Famous Footwear can be expected to turn that comp positive again and I guess embedded in that question is what’s going on from an AUR perspective, whether for better or for worse right now and in this current period?

J. Schmidt: Well, I’ll take — I’ll start with the end right now for the third quarter, our AURs were actually slightly up in Famous Footwear for the quarter. So that actually reflects, I would say good solid demand and health to it. We really saw athletic come down in the third quarter and we thought non-athletic increased at the same time. So as we look to move that more to an even balance, I think we’re going forward for that for 2023. I think we’re still going through in fourth quarter and really trying — I think really, I think our forecast really reflects any risks that’s out there, but I think we’ll see that moving into 2023.

Diane Sullivan: So Laura, I add maybe a couple things Jay as well on this topic. If you look at the quarter, right, we were down just 1% on a comparable store basis, which really wasn’t — not bad in this overall environment, particularly as you think about the athletic business, which is 60% of our business in the quarter as a category in the total market was down in the high single digits. So we think as the consumer continues to move and the better balance, they — when they start buying athletic in a little more robust way and as Jay and the team continue to build out that not the other non-athletic and fashion side. So we’re balancing sort of the categories within the store and Famous, we think that actually is going to truly help and lift that that comp from down one to what we expect in ’23 to be in a more positive place.

So a lot of it is this category — category driven and as we drive the Fashion side of a little bit stronger and savings that will really help. I think that’s a big strategic shift for everybody and kids that’s going to allow us to change the momentum.

J. Schmidt: And get more inventory in this category.

Diane Sullivan: Yeah and get more inventory in those categories. Yeah. So does that — does that help?

Laura Champine: It does. Thank you guys.

Diane Sullivan: Alright, thank you, Laura.

Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from line of Mitch Kummetz with Seaport Research Partners. Please proceed with your question.

Mitch Kummetz: Yeah. Thanks for taking my questions and Diane, best of luck to you in your new role. So I want to start, I got a few questions. I want to start on the Famous side, so the range of guidance in the fourth quarter, obviously that’s below what you delivered in Q3 and I’m just trying to better understand that, how much of that the macro seems worse than what it was in the third quarter versus maybe the kids businesses, maybe a little worse just given that we’re post back to school and I’m wondering maybe how boots are influencing kind of the trend that you’re seeing right now, just maybe given kind of a warm start to the season although better weather in the last week. So can you maybe unpack some of that in terms of kind of how you’re looking at the current trend in that business and the guide for the quarter?