Macy’s (M) is one of the nation’s premier retailers, operating about 885 stores in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico, under the names of Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Bloomingdale’s Outlet and Bluemercury, as well as the macys.com, bloomingdales.com and bluemercury.com websites. Prior to June 1, 2007, Macy’s was known as Federated Department Stores.

We have some more clues for the retail sector today as we head into the all-important holiday shopping season. Macy’s the former Federated Department Stores, reported third-quarter 2017 earnings per diluted share of 12 cents, or 23 cents per share excluding restructuring and other costs and non-cash retirement plan settlement charges. This compares with 5 cents per share in the third quarter of 2016 or 17 cents excluding non-cash retirement plan settlement charges. The company also reaffirmed its sales and earnings guidance for full-year 2017.

Sales in the third quarter of 2017 totaled $5.281 billion, a decrease of 6.1 percent, compared with sales of $5.626 billion in the third quarter of 2016. The year-over-year decline in total sales reflects, in part, the closure of stores previously announced by the company. Comparable sales on an owned basis were down 4.0 percent in the third quarter and down 3.6 percent on an owned plus licensed basis.

Jeff Gennette, Macy’s, Inc. chief executive officer, had this to say about the results:

Overall, we’re pleased with the results for the third quarter and we remain on track to meet our full-year sales and earnings guidance for 2017. Importantly, we also saw better gross margin performance primarily due to our tightly controlled inventory position. A highlight of the third quarter was the launch of the new Star Rewards loyalty program – our best customers are responding positively. We also saw continued double-digit growth in digital and are encouraged by the potential of Backstage in Macy’s stores.

We are excited about our plans for holiday, which is when Macy’s truly shines as a gifting destination. The loyalty program, special in-store experiences and a strong mobile and online presence will help drive holiday sales. We are bringing our fashion authority to bear on holiday trends and have a strong product assortment. Our best customer will also find the convenience she expects and the holiday experiences she loves. Macy’s remains intensely focused on executing all aspects of our North Star Strategy. We expect continued improvement in our trends in the fourth quarter, including a solid lift from loyalty and digital, and intend to head into 2018 with momentum.