Department store chain Nordstrom Inc. reported net earnings of $63.02 million or 77 cents per share for the second quarter, up 47.8 percent over the same period last year.
For the six months, earnings were $94.99 million or $1.16 per share, up 76.1 percent over the first half of 1993.Sales for the second quarter were $1.07 billion, up 6.1 percent over the same period last year. Sales for the first six months were $1.84 million, up 7.5 percent
A spokesman for the retailer attributed the second-quarter earnings increase to higher mer-chan-dise margins, particularly for women's apparel. For the six months, the spokesman cited improving sales trends, merchandise margins and lower expenses in all regions of the company's operations.