SEATTLE, Sept. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) today reported preliminary sales of $558 million for the four-week period ended August 30, 2008, a decrease of 4.2 percent compared to sales of $582 million for the four-week period ended September 1, 2007. Same-store sales decreased 7.9 percent.

Preliminary year-to-date sales of $4.72 billion decreased 4.1 percent compared to sales of $4.93 billion for the same period in 2007. Year-to-date same-store sales decreased 6.4 percent.

Sales Recording

To hear Nordstrom's pre-recorded August sales message, please dial 800-891-8250 or 402-220-6036. This recording will be available for one week.

    AUGUST SALES RESULTS
    (unaudited; $ in millions)
                                 Total Sales             Same-store Sales(2)
                                 -----------             ----------------
                                              Percent
                          Fiscal    Fiscal   Increase/        Full-line  Rack
                           2008     2007(1) (Decrease)  Total  Stores   Stores
                        ------------------------------  ----------------------
    August                 $558       $582    (4.2%)    (7.9%) (12.5%)   7.6%
    Year-to-date         $4,724     $4,926    (4.1%)    (6.4%)  (9.4%)   5.7%

    Number of stores
     as of August
        Full-line           105         98
        Rack and other       54         55
        Faconnable
         boutiques(3)         -          4
                            ---        ---
      Total                 159        157
                            ===        ===
    Gross square
     footage         21,139,000 20,091,000
    (1) Total sales results for fiscal 2007 include sales from the company's
        international and domestic Faconnable boutiques.
    (2) Same-store sales results exclude sales from Faconnable.
    (3) On August 31, 2007, Nordstrom completed the sale of its international
        and wholesale Faconnable business.  Nordstrom completed the sale of
        its four U.S.