21st century
After the acquisition of Mercantile, Dillard's largely ceased expanding through acquisitions, although eight locations of the defunct Montgomery Ward in the Midwest, and four locations from ZCMI in Utah and Idaho were acquired in 2001.[33][34]
In 2004, Dillard's store credit card operation, operated as Dillard's National Bank, was sold to GE Money Bank.[35]
In 2005, Dillard's opened stores at Atlantic Station in Atlanta, Georgia as well as St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville, Florida, and a store at Imperial Valley Mall in El Centro, California.[36][37][38]
In 2008, Dillard's closed their travel agency, Dillard's Travel, alongside all in-store locations due to economic conditions. Dillard's Travel previously operated in 43 of the 318 stores.[39] Also in 2008, stores opened at both The Shops at Wiregrass and Pier Park in Florida. Dillard's also announced that it had completed a transaction to acquire the remaining fifty percent (50%) interest in CDI Contractors, LLC and CDI Contractors, Inc., which it did not already own.[40]
In 2014, Dillard's announced a partnership with Bourbon & Boots, also based in Little Rock, to launch a line of Southern-themed products for sale in stores.[41]
In late 2018, Dillard's announced a location would open in fall 2019 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the site of the former Younkers in Empire Mall.[42]
By August 2020, it had not yet opened.[43] In September 2019, Dillard's remained headquartered in Arkansas, with 260 "full-line" stores and 29 clearance centers. It had locations mostly in the South and Southwest of the United States, in 29 states overall. The company was also a significant owner of property in the United States, and it owned 44,300,000 sqft of the 49,000,000 sqft it used for its business and retail operations.[44]
In March 2020, Dillard's attracted note in the press for keeping many of its 290 stores open during the coronavirus pandemic,[45] with Dillard's stating "we are open with limited hours where not ordered to close by state or local government mandate."[46]
In April 2020, Dillard's closed around 200 out of its 285 stores in response to COVID-19. Its online store remained open.[47] In May 2020, Dillard's had reopened all but two of its locations in Tampa Bay, according to its website at the time.[48] That week, management and Dillard's CEO, William Dillard II, informed its annual meeting that the company's first quarter had been the worst in its history, due to the coronavirus, saying Dillard's business had become "total chaos" by the end of April as a result. At the time, Dillard's had 257 department stores, and 28 clearance stores, and had reopened stores in 21 states or more.[49]
In August 2021, the company released its second quarter report. It did not release "store comps relative to pandemic-dominated 2020; comparable store retail sales compared to 2019 rose 14%." After an $8.6 million net loss in August 2020, the company noted that it instead had made a net income in August 2021 of $185.7 million.[50]
For 2023 (for the 53 weeks ending 3 February 2024), Dillard's net income was $738.8 million. Net sales for the same period were $6.75 billion. Operating expenses to 3 February 2024 were $1.77 billion.[51]
On January 29, 2024 Dillard's announced an agreement with Citibank and Mastercard that would replace existing customer credit card accounts.[52] A new co-branded Mastercard replaced the existing co-branded credit card alongside an alternative private label card and new loyalty program activities. In March of 2024, Dillard's opened their first location in the upper midwest in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in the Empire Mall.
In 2024, the company introduced "The Coterie Shop" a concept of online and conventional special occasion and casual clothing shops from Abbey Glass, Buru, Crosby by Mollie Burch and Fanm Mon. The Coterie Shop will be featured in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.[53]
In a partnership with Trademark Property, Dillard's purchased Longview Mall in Longview, Texas in 2025.[54]
Dillard's announced the closure of their store in Plano, Texas in 2025. It was reported as closed in 2026. [55][56]
Throughout the retail apocalypse, Dillard's fiscal health has fluctuated, with a sharp decline during the pandemic, followed by a rebound. It has stayed more stable than many other retail brands, such as Macy's or Nordstrom, though it is still volatile.[57][58]
