April 2007 Sales Summary
Investor Relations Contacts
Investor Relations 479-273-8446
Carol Schumacher 479-277-1498
Pauline Tureman 479-277-9558
Media Relations Contact
John Simley 800-331-0085
The text below is also available via a recorded telephone call, which is accessible by calling 479-273-8446.
Hello and thanks for calling Wal-Mart for the April sales release.
The sales reporting period included the four weeks ended Friday, May 4th, and compares with the four weeks ended Friday, May 5th, last year.
For this year’s four-week period, comparable store sales were negative 4.6 percent at the Wal-Mart Stores and up 2.5 percent at Sam’s Club. Total U.S. comparable store sales decreased 3.5 percent for the four-week period.
The actual sales results for the four-week period were:
Click here for actual sales results for the four-week period
For the April period, overall sales at the Wal-Mart Stores were impacted negatively by weather conditions throughout most of the United States. An earlier Easter season this year also drove some seasonal sales into last month’s period.
Grocery continued to be stronger than general merchandise. Within grocery, bread, dairy, produce and frozen foods did well. Pharmacy continued to perform well as we continue to see strong sales from the $4 generic prescription program. In the entertainment area, sales of flat panel TVs, digital audio products and laptop computers have posted gains over the same period last year.
Geographically, the West and Central regions were the strongest for the period. The Central region is the area we formerly referred to as the North or Rocky Mountain region. Traffic was negative for the period at the Wal-Mart Stores, and average ticket drove the comparable sales increase.
Sam’s Club strengths for the April reporting period included food, pharmacy, electronics and home. Business member traffic continued to be up. Club events for National Small Business Week contributed to an increase in business member ticket. Like Wal-Mart, seasonal weather categories were soft because of colder than anticipated weather.
International strengths came from Argentina and the United Kingdom. The Asda stores generated increased traffic and sales from customer initiatives in food and general merchandise.
As a reminder, the Company reports monthly sales based on the retail 4-5-4 calendar. For quarterly earnings releases, the Company reports sales based upon the calendar months within the quarter and the fiscal year. Total sales for the first quarter of fiscal year 2008 ended April 30, 2007 were approximately $85.4 billion.
Comparable sales that are presented in this release exclude the impact of fuel sales in the Company’s Sam’s Club segment. Fuel sales impacted the Sam’s Club sales figures for the four-week period ending May 4, 2007 by -0.2 percentage points. Fuel sales had no impact on the total U.S. comparable sales figures for the four-week period ending May 4, 2007. Including the impact of fuel sales, the Sam’s Club sales figure for the four-week period ending May 4, 2007 would have been 2.3 percent.
The Company expects comparable sales in the U.S. for the May 4-week period to be between 1 and 2 percent. The comparable sales increase for the related four-week period of May last year was 3.3 percent without fuel.
Comparable store sales for the second quarter of fiscal year 2008 are estimated to be between 1 and 2 percent. The Company will announce its first quarter earnings on May 15 before the New York Stock Exchange opens for trading.
Additional information regarding our comparable store sales can be found at www.walmartstores.com/investors. The company has posted on the web site a reclassification document showing prior year comparable store sales re-grouped to match the comparable weeks for the current reporting calendar.
Information from this sales pre-recorded phone call is available at www.walmartstores.com/sales.
Thank you for your interest in Wal-Mart Stores. Have a great day.
This call is the property of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and intended solely for the use of Wal-Mart shareholders. It should not be reproduced in any way.
This release contains statements that Wal-Mart believes are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and intended to enjoy the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by that Act. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by use of phrases such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “foresee,” “forecast,” or other similar words or phrases. Similarly, descriptions of our objectives, strategies, plans, goals or targets are also forward-looking statements. These statements discuss, among other things, expected growth, future revenues, future cash flows, future performance and the anticipation and expectations of Wal-Mart and its management as to future occurrences and trends. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, domestically and internationally, including, the cost of goods, competitive pressures, inflation, consumer spending patterns and debt levels, currency exchange fluctuations, trade restrictions, changes in tariff and freight rates, interest rate fluctuations and other capital market conditions and other risks. We discuss certain of these matters more fully in other of our filings with the SEC, including our last annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC; this release should be read in conjunction with our annual report on Form 10-K, and together with all our other filings, including current reports on Form 8-K, made with the SEC through the date of this report. You are urged to consider all of these risks, uncertainties and other factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements. As a result of these matters, including changes in facts, assumptions not being realized or other circumstances, our actual results may differ materially from historical results or from anticipated results expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date of this report and we undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
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