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Basis Of Presentation
6 Months Ended
Jul. 30, 2011
Basis Of Presentation  
Basis Of Presentation

NOTE 1: BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include Nordstrom, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated in consolidation. The interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a basis consistent in all material respects with the accounting policies described and applied in our 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K, and reflect all adjustments that are, in management's opinion, necessary for the fair presentation of the results of operations, financial position and cash flows for the periods presented.

The condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the periods ended July 30, 2011 and July 31, 2010 are unaudited. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of January 29, 2011 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements included in our 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read together with the consolidated financial statements and related footnote disclosures contained in our 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The preparation of our financial statements requires that we make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates on historical experience and other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Our business, like that of other retailers, is subject to seasonal fluctuations. Due to our Anniversary Sale in July, the holidays in December and the half-yearly sales that occur in the second and fourth quarters, our sales are typically higher in the second and fourth quarters of the fiscal year than in the first and third quarters. Accordingly, results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved for a full fiscal year.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In April 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2011-02, A Creditor's Determination of Whether a Restructuring Is a Troubled Debt Restructuring. This ASU clarifies existing guidance on whether a loan modification constitutes a troubled debt restructuring ("TDR") for accounting purposes, and requires certain disclosures related to TDRs. We do not expect the provisions of this ASU, which are effective for us beginning with the third quarter of 2011, to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-04, Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs. This ASU clarifies existing fair value measurement and disclosure requirements, amends certain fair value measurement principles and requires additional disclosures about fair value measurements. We do not expect the provisions of this ASU, which are effective for us beginning with the first quarter of 2012, to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, Presentation of Comprehensive Income. This ASU amends existing presentation and disclosure requirements concerning comprehensive income, most significantly by requiring that comprehensive income be presented with net income in a continuous financial statement, or in a separate but consecutive financial statement. The provisions of this ASU, which are effective for us beginning with the first quarter of 2012, will result in changes to the presentation of comprehensive net earnings in our consolidated financial statements, but will have no effect on the calculation of net earnings, comprehensive net earnings or earnings per share.