Many large retailers reported their December sales numbers this week, with most of them coming out the morning of Thursday, Jan. 7. Following an announcement in May, Wal-Mart and its units no longer publish monthly sales figures. Updates to come as more retailers report sales. (Last updated Jan. 7, 2009)
Sort the chart below by company name, category, change in total or same-store sales, and total sales. Also, see November’s chart.
| Company name | Category | Same-store sales change | Overall sales change | Overall sales (millions) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abercrombie & Fitch | Apparel | -19% | -11% | $482.5 | Year-to-date the company’s sales are down 18% compared to last year, as the retailer continues to struggle amid the economic downturn. The Hollister brand was hit the hardest in December, with a 25% drop in same-store sales for the month, but every brand experienced declines. |
| Aeropostale | Apparel | 10% | 17% | $460.8 | The company posted a 10% increase in same-store sales for the year, one of the rare retailers to have a better performance in 2009 than 2008. |
| BJ’s | Discount | 2.7% | 9.4% | $1,160 | Comparable club sales increased in all regions, with the lowest rises in the Mid-Atlantic. Departments with strong comparable club sales increases included apparel, cigarettes, electronics, groceries, housewares, software and video games. Weaker departments versus last year included automotive and tools, camera accessories, jewelry, televisions, toys, trash bags and prerecorded video. (Same-store sales change excludes gasoline.) |
| Buckle | Apparel | 6.6% | 12% | $147.1 | The teen-apparel retailer has now posted positive comparable store sales for 39 months — more than three years — in a row |
| Costco | Discount | 2% | 11% | $8,260 | The warehouse chain said gasoline inflation boosted overall sales. Improvement was seen in electronics sales, despite deflation for televisions, home furnishings, apparel and even jewelry, with the latter seeing a mid-single digit percentage increase for the month. (Same-store sales change is for U.S. and excludes gasoline.) |
| Gap | Apparel | 2% | 5% | $2,020 | The company’s low-end chain posted the strongest increase. The discount Old Navy stores posted a 7% increase in sales, while the flagship Gap stores posted a 1% gain in same-store sales. The high-end Banana Republic chain experience a 3% drop. |
| J.C. Penney | Department | -3.8% | -2.4% | $2,889 | Women’s apparel, women’s and men’s apparel, accessories and shoes were the top performing merchandise divisions, while home experienced the weakest sales. The central region was the best performing region in December, and the northwest region had the softest sales during the month. January same-store sales are expected to fall 5% to 8%. |
| Hot Topic | Apparel | -11% | -9.8% | $119 | The company lowered its earnings outlook on a worse-than-expected holiday season. |
| Kohl’s | Discount | 4.7% | 8.8% | $3,014 | The company said transactions per store were up, indicating it is attracting more customers. All regions reported sales gains, with the Southwest the strongest part of the country. The footwear and accessories categories performed best. |
| Limited Brands | Apparel | -2% | 1.0% | $1,660 | Despite the decline in same-store sales, the parent of Victoria’s Secret raised its earnings outlook for the fourth quarter on better-than-expected sales and margins. |
| Macy’s | Department | 0.7% | 1% | $4,426 | The company increased its fourth-quarter earnings outlook amid a better-than-expected holiday season. CEO Terry Lundgren pointed to strong sales at the company’s Bloomingdale’s chain. |
| Neiman Marcus | Luxury | 4.5% | 6% | $556 | Sales were strongest in the Southeast and New York City. The merchandise categories that performed best included women’s fine apparel, designer handbags, shoes, men’s clothing and precious jewelry. |
| Nordstrom | Luxury | 7.4% | 11% | $1,250 | The company posted a 5.1% year-to-date decline in same-store sales, smaller than many others in the luxury sector. |
| Ross Stores | Apparel | 12% | 16% | $934 | The discount apparel retailer raised its fourth-quarter earnings outlook on stronger-than-expected sales. The home department, dresses and shoes were the strongest categories, while the Southeast and Northwest regions performed the best for the company. |
| Saks | Luxury | 9.9% | 11% | $393.6 | The luxury retailer eked out a gain in the holiday season, in part by moving a designer clearance event into December. Same-store sales still were off 15% for the full year. Fine jewelry, intimate apparel, men’s contemporary apparel, men’s accessories, and cosmetics were the weakest categories, while women’s designer apparel, men’s sportswear, women’s shoes, and handbags were stronger. |
| Target | Department | 1.8% | 5.0% | $9,741 | The company said sales were strongest in apparel, electronics, toys, food, and health and beauty, and reiterated that results will meet or exceed expectations. |
| TJX | Discount | 14% | 21% | $2,900 | The TJ Maxx and Marshalls parent saw strong sales across all regions. TJX raised earnings guidance for the fourth quarter and the full fiscal year. |
| Zumiez | Apparel | 0.3% | 7.7% | $77.6 | The youth retailer experienced better-than-expected sales, leading it to raise its earnings and sales outlook for the current quarter. |