Chains Report Solid Jan. Sales
By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 2/13/2006
New York— Mild weather and gift-card redemptions fueled solid sales gains for full-line retailers last month.
Among the discount chains, Wal-Mart said that net sales at its flagship discount stores rose 10.5 percent in January to $14.5 billion while same store-sales grew 4 percent.
Net sales at Target rose 14.1 percent in January to $3.6 billion, and same-store sales increased 5.2 percent.
Among the wholesale clubs, Costco said worldwide sales rose 12 percent in January to $4.1 billion while same-store sales grew 8 percent in the United States, thanks in part to strong sales of computers, A/V and white goods.
Wal-Mart's Sam's Club unit saw total January sales climb 10 percent to $2.8 billion while same-store sales grew 8.2 percent.
BJ's said net sales rose 5.6 percent in January to $523.9 million while same-store sales gained 2 percent. TVs were among the chain's strongest performers last month, while computers and DVDs were among the weakest.
Finally, proprietary CE specialist Sharper Image said net sales fell 20 percent channel-wide to $39.2 million in January while same-store sales fell 13 percent. The company attributed a 13 percent decline in net sales for the November-January fiscal fourth quarter to a cutback in advertising and weak sales of its core air purifier and massage chair products.
