Summary
Revenue: $1,896 million, slightly above analyst estimates of $1,888.32 million.
GAAP EPS: Loss of $0.13 per share, below analyst estimates of -$0.08 per share.
Comparable Sales: Increased by 2.6%, indicating a positive trend in same-store performance.
Gross Margin: Expanded by 50 basis points year-over-year, reflecting improved profitability.
Inventory: Decreased by 10.0% year-over-year, showing effective inventory management.
Store Count: Opened 5 new stores and closed 31 stores during the quarter, with a total of 2,464 stores in operation.
Cash and Debt: Ended the quarter with $291 million in cash and cash equivalents, and total debt of $445 million.
Article's Main Image
Foot Locker Inc operates thousands of retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. It also has a presence in the Middle East. The company mainly sells athletically inspired shoes and apparel. Foot Locker's merchandise comes from only a few suppliers, with Nike providing the majority. Its portfolio of brands includes Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, WSS, and atmos. The company has omnichannel capabilities to bridge the digital world and physical stores, including order-in-store, buy online and pickup-in-store, and buy online and ship-from-store, as well as e-commerce. It has three operating segments: North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific.

Performance and Challenges
Foot Locker Inc (FL, Financial) reported a loss of $0.13 per share for Q2 2024, missing the analyst estimate of -$0.08. However, the company achieved a revenue of $1,896 million, surpassing the estimated $1,888.32 million. The company returned to topline growth with total sales up 1.9% and comparable sales up 2.6%. Despite these positive sales trends, the company faced challenges, including a gross margin expansion of only 50 basis points year-over-year and a decrease in inventory by 10.0% year-over-year.

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Financial Achievements
Foot Locker Inc (FL, Financial) achieved several financial milestones in Q2 2024. The company reported a gross margin expansion of 50 basis points year-over-year, indicating improved profitability. Additionally, the company reaffirmed its full-year 2024 Non-GAAP EPS outlook, showcasing confidence in its strategic initiatives. The company also made significant progress in streamlining its international operations and optimizing its corporate office footprint.

Income Statement Highlights
Key details from the income statement include:

Metric	Q2 2024	Q2 2023
Sales	$1,896 million	$1,861 million
Cost of Sales	$1,373 million	$1,357 million
SG&A Expenses	$476 million	$442 million
Net (Loss) Income	$(12) million	$(5) million
Diluted (Loss) Earnings per Share	$(0.13)	$(0.05)
Balance Sheet and Cash Flow
As of August 3, 2024, Foot Locker Inc (FL, Financial) reported cash and cash equivalents totaling $291 million, with total debt amounting to $445 million. Merchandise inventories were $1.6 billion, a 10.0% decrease year-over-year. The company opened 5 new stores and closed 31 stores during the quarter, while also remodeling or relocating 14 stores and refreshing 67 stores to current design standards.

Strategic Updates
Foot Locker Inc (FL, Financial) announced several strategic updates as part of its Lace Up Plan. The company is closing its stores and e-commerce operations in South Korea, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Additionally, it signed agreements with Fourlis Holdings Société Anonyme (Fourlis Group) to transfer store and e-commerce operations in Greece and store operations in Romania. The company also plans to relocate its headquarters to St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2025 and will open a Global Technology Services (GTS) Hub in Dallas, Texas, in September.

Reaffirming 2024 Non-GAAP EPS Outlook
Foot Locker Inc (FL, Financial) reaffirmed its full-year 2024 Non-GAAP EPS outlook, projecting Non-GAAP EPS between $1.50 and $1.70. The company expects a sales change of -1.0% to +1.0% and a comparable sales change of +1.0% to +3.0%. The company also anticipates a gross margin of 29.5% to 29.7% and an SG&A rate of 24.1% to 24.3%.

Mary Dillon, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "The Lace Up Plan is working, as evidenced by our return to positive total and comparable sales growth as well as gross margin expansion in the second quarter. Our top line trends strengthened as we moved through the quarter, including a solid start to Back-to-School. We were also particularly pleased to deliver stabilization in our Champs Sports banner."