Dillard's March same-store sales fall 10 percent

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Department store operator Dillard's Inc (DDS.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Thursday that same-store sales fell 10 percent in March, more than Wall Street was expecting, hurt by the earlier Easter holiday.

Analysts on average were expecting a decline of 6.3 percent, according to Reuters Estimates.

Total sales for the five weeks ended April 7 were $621.7 million, down from $679.6 million a year earlier.

Dillard's said the March period contained one fewer shopping day than a year earlier since Easter fell in March this year and April last year.

Demand for cosmetics was strong, while sales of juniors' and children's apparel and shoes were significantly below trend, the company said.

(Reporting by Martinne Geller; editing by John Wallace)