Department store results mixed in May

New York -- When Macy’s reported a 4.2% May same-store sales gain on Wednesday, ahead of the rest of the pack, analysts wondered whether that would set the tone for the rest of the department store players. It did — and it didn’t. Macy’s outpaced the 4% gain predicted by Wall Street, citing online strength as a major reason for the strong performance, but Kohl’s saw a wider than expected drop in same-store sales. The department store retailer posted a 4.2% decrease in May, worse than analysts’ predicted 1.2% drop. According to CEO Kevin Mansell, the May results will