Retailers announce stronger financial results for January

Several retailers saw signs of hope in January, as sales increased for many. Here’s a look:

BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc., Natick, Mass., reported that total sales for the month of January 2010 increased by 13.0 percent to $742.6 million from $656.9 million in January 2009. On a comparable club basis, January sales increased by 8.4 percent, including a contribution from sales of gasoline of approximately 5.5 percent. Excluding gasoline sales, merchandise comparable club sales increased by 2.9 percent in January. A calendar shift in the timing of the Super Bowl from January last year to February this year had a negative impact on merchandise comparable club sales of approximately 2 percent.

In 2009, the Company reported a comparable club sales decrease of 0.7 percent for the month of January, including a negative impact from sales of gasoline of 8.3 percent. Excluding gasoline sales, merchandise comparable club sales increased by 7.6 percent in January 2009.

For the fourth quarter ended Jan. 30, 2010, total sales increased by 9.4 percent to $2.74 billion, and comparable club sales increased by 4.6 percent, including a contribution from sales of gasoline of 2.3 percent. For the year ended Jan. 30, 2010, total sales rose by 1.6 percent to $9.95 billion and comparable club sales decreased by 1.9 percent, including a negative impact from sales of gasoline of 5.9 percent.

Costco Wholesale Corp., Issaquah, Wash., reported net sales of $5.62 billion for the  four weeks ended Jan. 31, 2010, an increase of ten percent from $5.09 billion in the same four-week period last year.

For the twenty-two weeks ended Jan. 31, 2010, the Company reported net sales of $32.45 billion, an increase of eight percent from $30.02 billion during the similar period last year.

J. C. Penney Co. Inc., Plano, Texas, announced comparable store sales decreased 4.6 percent for the four-week period ended Jan. 30, 2010, which was better than the Company’s guidance for sales to decrease 5 to 8 percent. In last year’s January period, comparable store sales decreased 16.4 percent. Total Company sales in January decreased 4.4 percent.

Jo-Ann Stores Inc., Hudson, Ohio, reported net sales for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 30, 2010 increased 5.3 percent to $602.2 million from $571.9 million for the same period last year. Same-store sales increased 4.4 percent compared with a 2.9 percent same-store sales decrease for the fourth quarter last year. Traffic increased 3.0 percent and average ticket increased 1.4 percent.

Net sales for the fiscal year period ended Jan. 30, 2010 increased 4.7 percent to $1.99 billion versus $1.90 billion in the prior year. Same-store sales increased 3.1 percent compared with a 0.5 percent increase last year.

Kohl’s Corp., Menominee Falls, Wis., reported total sales for the four-week month ended Jan. 30, 2010 increased 10.7 percent from the four-week month ended Jan. 31, 2009. On a comparable store basis, sales increased 6.5 percent.

Total sales for the year increased 4.8 percent from the prior year. On a comparable store basis, sales for the year increased 0.4 percent.

Macy’s Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, reported total sales of $1.255 billion for the four weeks ended Jan. 30, 2010, an increase of 3.4 percent compared with total sales of $1.213 billion in the four weeks ended Jan. 31, 2009. On a same-store basis, Macy’s Inc. sales were also up 3.4 percent in January.

For the 13-week fourth quarter of fiscal 2009, Macy’s Inc.’s sales totaled $7.851 billion, down 1.0 percent from total sales of $7.934 billion for the final 13 weeks of 2008. On a same-store basis, the company’s fourth quarter sales were down 0.8 percent. This is better than the company’s guidance for fourth quarter sales to be down between 1 percent and 2 percent.

Online sales (macys.com and bloomingdales.com combined) were up 23.9 percent in January, 26.6 percent in the fourth quarter and 19.6 percent for fiscal 2009. Online sales positively affected the company’s same-store sales by 0.7 percentage points in the fourth quarter and 0.6 percentage points in fiscal 2009 as a whole. Online sales are included in the same-store sales calculation for Macy’s Inc.

PriceSmart Inc., San Diego, Calif., announced Jan. 2010 net sales increased 9.2 percent to $106.4 million from $97.4 million in January a year earlier. For the five months ended Jan. 31, 2010, net sales increased 5.7 percent to $567.1 million from $536.7 million in the same period last year. There were 26 warehouse clubs in operation at the end of January 2010 compared to 25 warehouse clubs in operation in January 2009.

For the four weeks ended Jan. 24, 2010, comparable warehouse sales for the 26 warehouse clubs open at least 12 full months increased 5.8 percent compared to the same four-week period last year. For the twenty-one week period ended Jan. 24, 2010, comparable warehouse sales increased 1.9 percent, compared to the comparable twenty-one week period a year ago.