Revenue during the quarter went down marginally by 0.84 percent to $643.37 million from $648.79 million in the previous year period. Gross margin for the quarter contracted 125 basis points over the previous year period to 49.57 percent. Total expenses were 99.57 percent of quarterly revenues, up from 97.24 percent for the same period last year. That has resulted in a contraction of 232 basis points in operating margin to 0.43 percent.

Operating income for the quarter was $2.79 million, compared with $17.90 million in the previous year period.

Robert J. Dennis, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Genesco, said, "Our first quarter performance reflects a number of challenges, many of which were expected, early in the new fiscal year. Consolidated comparable sales were pressured by weak store traffic in our U.S. businesses, which we believe was due in part to federal income tax refund delays, and by the impact from the significant fashion rotation at Journeys. This was partially offset by very strong growth in digital channel sales. The combination of a 1% comp decline, expense deleverage on lower sales, gross margin headwinds at Journeys and Lids, that were especially pronounced in the first quarter, and increased marketing and digital investment resulted in earnings substantially lower than last year and a little below our internal forecasts.