** Shares of department store operator Dillard's DDS.N down 1% at $475 premarket
** Q4 net sales fell 5% to $2.02 billion
** Says Q4 total retail sales, which excludes revenue from CDI Contractors, its construction business, fell 1% compared to the 13 week period last year, hurt by weaker performing men's apparel, accessories and shoes categories
** Reports Q4 EPS of $13.48 compared to $15.44 a year ago
** Retail gross margin for the quarter fell to 36.1% of sales compared to 37.7% a year ago, says decrease driven by performance of home and furniture, ladies' apparel categories
** "With sales down 1%, we worked on controlling expenses but lost some steam in gross margin" - CEO William Dillard
** DDS rose 13.2% in 2024
(Reporting by Neil J Kanatt in Bengaluru)
((Neil.JKanatt@thomsonreuters.com;))