New York, NY, February 3—For the most part the nation’s major retailers posted solid gains in January sales. Wal-Mart however reported sales for the month that slightly missed Wall Street's expectations, after results at Sam's Club fell well below forecasts.
Wal-Mart’s total sales for the month rose 9 percent from the year-ago period to $19.80 billion. Sales at Wal-Mart Stores were $13.17 billion, up 10.7 percent, while Sam's Club sales were $2.51 billion, up 1.4 percent over last year. International sales grew 8.6 percent to $4.12 billion.
The company’s same-store sales were up 2.5 percent, which was off from analysts expectations for an increase of 2.6 percent. Wal-Mart said it expects sales gains of 2 percent to 4 percent for February.
Target reported an increase of 9.4 percent in its January same-store sales. The company said it expects same-store sales in February to increase 4 to 6 percent.
Sears reported a same-store sales increase of 0.8 percent in January. Total domestic store revenues were $1.61 billion for period for an increase of 1.7 percent compared with the four weeks ended Jan. 31, 2004.
Federated reported a 0.4 percent decrease in January same-store sales, the result of snow and ice storms in the eastern United States. The company reported total sales of $809 million for month, a decrease of 0.5 percent from the year-ago period.
Federated had forecast January same-store sales in a range of a decrease of 1 percent to an increase of 1 percent.
May said its January same-store sales were off 7.2 percent. Excluding seven stores the company is divesting, same-store sales fell 7 percent. The company posted preliminary net sales of $808 million, a 12.9 percent increase from a year earlier.
Kohl's reported total sales for January that increased 11.2 percent over the four-week period ended January 31, 2004. On a same-store basis, sales decreased 1.6 percent.
