BENTONVILLE, Ark., Feb. 8 -- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) reported net sales for the five-week and 53-week periods ending Feb. 2, 2007, and Feb. 3, 2006, respectively, as follows (dollars in billions). The Company's comparable store sales for the January reporting period coincide with the National Retail Federation's calendar, which has 53 weeks for the year.
5 Weeks Ended 53 Weeks Ended
Percent Percent
2-2-2007 2-3-2006 Change 2-2-2007 2-3-2006 Change
Wal-Mart Stores $20.473 $18.684 9.6% $230.065 $213.545 7.7%
Sam's Club 3.671 3.531 4.0% 42.278 40.470 4.5%
International 7.549 6.418 17.6% 79.738 61.683 29.3%
Total Company $31.693 $28.633 10.7% $352.081 $315.698 11.5%
Total sales for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2007, were approximately $344 billion. The Company reports sales on a monthly basis based upon the retail 4-5-4 calendar. For earnings releases, the Company reports sales based upon the calendar months within the quarter and the fiscal year.
Comparable sales for the periods ending Feb. 2, 2007, and Feb. 3, 2006,
were as follows:
5 Weeks Ended 53 Weeks Ended
2-2-2007 2-3-2006 2-2-2007 2-3-2006
Wal-Mart Stores 1.9% 3.6% 1.9% 3.5%
Sam's Club 3.4% 6.6% 2.9% 4.0%
Total U.S. 2.2% 4.0% 2.0% 3.6%
The 17.6% increase in International's net sales for the five-week period includes 4.1 percentage points from the consolidation of Wal-Mart Central America. The 29.3% increase in International's net sales for the 53-week period includes the impact of the consolidation of Seiyu and Wal-Mart Central America and the acquisition in Southern Brazil, which added 16.1 percentage points to the net sales increase for that period.
In the month of January, Wal-Mart announced the opening of two Neighborhood Markets, four Wal-Mart discount stores and 64 Wal-Mart supercenters -- a record number of stores to open in one month. There were four new Sam's Clubs opened in January and two Club relocations.
Strengths Continue in Grocery, Entertainment, Pharmacy
Throughout the fourth quarter, including the January five-week reporting period, sales were strong in entertainment, grocery and pharmacy. While overall sales continued to be soft in apparel and home, men's apparel had above average comps for the January period.
"Colder temperatures throughout the United States drove sales of cold weather-related items," said Eduardo Castro-Wright, Wal-Mart U.S. president and CEO.
In electronics, Wal-Mart's sales were strong in both laptops and desktop computers, HDTVs, and digital audio products, as well as hardware and software for video games.
Average ticket drove the January comparable sales figure. The traffic decline is slowing as compared to the last several months. The negative impact on comparable store sales for the five-week January period from hurricane-related sales last year continues.
Guidance
"Comparable store sales in the United States for the February four-week period are estimated to be between 1 and 2 percent," said Tom Schoewe, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. executive vice president and chief financial officer.
Detail on Comparable Sales Fuel Impact
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 and total U.S. comparable sales figures for the five-week period ending Feb. 2, 2007, by -1.2 and -0.2 percentage points, respectively. For the 53-week period ended Feb. 2, 2007, fuel sales impacted the Sam's Club sales figures by -0.4 percentage points and had no impact to the total U.S. comparable sales figures. Including the impact of fuel sales, the Sam's Club and total U.S. comparable sales figures for the five-week period ending Feb. 2, 2007, would have been 2.2 and 2.0 percent, respectively, and for the 53-week period would have been 2.5 and 2.0 percent, respectively.
The Company's earnings release for the fourth fiscal quarter is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2007, before the NYSE opens. The dial-in number is 203- 369-1090 and will be available for 36 hours after quarterly earnings are announced.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart discount stores, supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam's Club locations in the United States. The Company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. The Company's securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting http://www.walmartfacts.com . Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com .
This release contains a statement that Wal-Mart believes is a "forward- looking statement" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that is intended to enjoy the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by that Act. This forward-looking statement discusses our management's estimate of comparable sales for the February four weeks. This statement is identified by use of the word "estimated" in this statement. This forward-looking statement is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, domestically and internationally, including consumer spending patterns and debt levels, fuel prices, weather conditions, competitive pressures, and other risks. We discuss certain of these matters and other risk factors more fully in our filings with the SEC, including our last Annual Report on Form 10-K and our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC.
This release should be read in conjunction with that Annual Report on Form 10-K and that Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and together with all of our other filings, including current reports on Form 8-K, made with the SEC through the date of this release. We urge you to consider all of these risks, uncertainties and other factors carefully in evaluating this forward-looking statement. As a result of these and other matters, including changes in facts, assumptions not being realized or other circumstances, our actual results may differ from those stated or implied in the forward-looking statement. The forward-looking statement included in this release is made only as of the date of this report, and we undertake no obligation to update the forward-looking statement to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
SOURCE Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
-0- 02/08/2007
/CONTACT: investors, Investor Relations, +1-479-273-8446, or Carol
Schumacher, +1-479-277-1498, or Pauline Tureman, +1-479-277-9558, or media,
John Simley +1-800-331-0085, all of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc./
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(WMT)
CO: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
ST: Arkansas
IN: REA
SU: SLS CCA
MA-CT
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2886 02/08/2007 07:49 EST http://www.prnewswire.com
