Exhibit 31(a)

CERTIFICATIONS

I, William Dillard, II, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Dillard's, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
    fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading
    with respect to the period covered by this annual report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this annual report, fairly present in
    all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods
    presented in this annual report;

4.  The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
    procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and we have:

        (a)   designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
              our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated
              subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this annual
              report is being prepared;

        (b)   evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this annual report
              our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of  the end of the period covered
              by this annual report based on such evaluation; and

        (c)   disclosed in this annual report any changes in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred
              during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual
              report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control
              over financial reporting; and

 5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over
    financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of registrant's board of directors:

        (a)   all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
              reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
              information; and

        (b)   any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the
              registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date: April 14, 2005

                                                      /s/ William Dillard, II
                                                          William Dillard, II
                                           Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer