| ($000, except per share data) | 2000(1)
|
1999 |
1998 |
1997 |
1996 |  | | Operations | | | | | | | | | | | | Sales | $ | 2,709,039 | $ | 2,468,638 | $ | 2,182,361 | $ | 1,988,692 | $ | 1,689,810 | | Cost of goods sold and occupancy | | 1,873,284 | | 1,702,342 | | 1,513,889 | | 1,388,098 | | 1,194,136 | | Percent of sales | | 69.1% | | 69.0% | | 69.4% | | 69.8% | | 70.7% | | General, selling and administrative | | 538,726 | | 472,822 | | 415,284 | | 374,119 | | 332,439 | | Percent of sales | | 19.9% | | 19.2% | | 19.0% | | 18.8% | | 19.7% | | Depreciation and amortization | | 44,377 | | 38,317 | | 33,514 | | 30,951 | | 28,754 | | Interest (income) expense | | 3,466 | | (322) | | 259 | | (265) | | (360) | | Provision for litigation expense(2) | | | | 9,000 | | | | | | | | Earnings before taxes(2) | | 249,186 | | 246,479 | | 219,415 | | 195,789 | | 134,841 | | Percent of sales (2) | | 9.2% | | 10.0% | | 10.1% | | 9.8% | | 8.0% | | Provision for taxes on earnings | | 97,432 | | 96,373 | | 85,572 | | 78,315 | | 53,936 | | Net earnings (2) | | 151,754 | | 150,106 | | 133,843 | | 117,474 | | 80,905 | | Percent of sales (2) | | 5.6% | | 6.1% | | 6.1% | | 5.9% | | 4.8% | | Diluted earnings per share(2,3) | $ | 1.82 | $ | 1.64 | $ | 1.40 | $ | 1.17 | $ | .79 | | Cash dividends declared per common share(3) | $ | .155 | $ | .135 | $ | .115 | $ | .095 | $ | .075 | | | Financial Position | | | | | | | | | | | | Merchandise inventory | $ | 559,565 | $ | 500,494 | $ | 466,460 | $ | 418,825 | $ | 373,689 | | Property and equipment, net | | 301,665 | | 273,164 | | 248,712 | | 204,721 | | 192,647 | | Total assets | | 975,047 | | 947,678 | | 870,306 | | 737,953 | | 659,478 | | Return on average assets(2) | | 16% | | 17% | | 17% | | 17% | | 13% | | Working capital | | 197,004 | | 190,724 | | 170,795 | | 174,678 | | 134,802 | | Current ratio | | 1.5:1 | | 1.5:1 | | 1.4:1 | | 1.5:1 | | 1.4:1 | | Long-term debt | | 30,000 | | 0 | | 0 | | 0 | | 0 | | Long-term debt as a percent of total capitalization | | 6% | | 0% | | 0% | | 0% | | 0% | | Stockholders' equity | | 467,547 | | 473,431 | | 424,703 | | 380,681 | | 328,843 | | Return on average stockholders' equity(2) | | 32% | | 33% | | 33% | | 33% | | 26% | | Book value per common share outstanding at year-end(3) | $ | 5.81 | $ | 5.33 | $ | 4.59 | $ | 3.97 | $ | 3.33 | | | Operating Statistics | | | | | | | | | | | | Number of stores opened | | 34 | | 34 | | 26 | | 17 | | 21 | | Number of stores closed | | 3 | | 5 | | 2 | | 1 | | 4 | | Number of stores at year-end | | 409 | | 378 | | 349 | | 325 | | 309 | | Comparable store sales increase (52-week basis) | | 1% | | 6% | | 3% | | 10% | | 13% | | Sales per square foot of selling space (52-week basis)(4) | $ | 298 | $ | 300 | $ | 290 | $ | 285 | $ | 259 | | Square feet of selling space at year-end (000) | | 9,330 | | 8,544 | | 7,817 | | 7,172 | | 6,677 | | Number of employees at year-end | | 19,786 | | 18,401 | | 16,926 | | 14,451 | | 13,256 | | Number of common stockholders of record at year-end | | 812 | | 827 | | 818 | | 813 | | 826 | |
| (1) | Fiscal 2000 is a 53-week year; all other fiscal years are 52 weeks. | | (2) | Fiscal 1999 includes a non-recurring pre-tax charge of $9.0 million or $.06 per share, related to litigation. See Note G of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. | | (3) | All per share information is adjusted to reflect the effect of the two-for-one stock splits effected in the form of 100% stock dividends paid on September 22, 1999 and March 5, 1997. | | (4) | Based on average annual selling square footage. | |
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