April 2009 Same Store Sales Figures: Complete List of U.S. Retail Industry

Year Over Year Sales Percentage Changes Reveal New U.S. Retailing Highs and Lows

As anticipated, the late Easter holiday in 2009 created some encouraging same store sales results in April. "Same store sales” specifically focus on the retail sales in store locations that have been open for one year or more.

Obvious shifts in consumer spending preferences continued as stores like Aeropostale, Buckle, Ross, Children's Place and TJ Maxx seem to have captured a significant portion of annual Easter apparel sales. A comparison of monthly same store sales figures confirm that recessionary shopping trends continue with few surprises.

This is a comprehensive list of the same store sales figures reported by major U.S. retail companies. The percentages reported for each retail company represent the change in same store sales in April 2009, when compared to same store sales figures in April, 2008.

+ 20.0%  Aeropostale

+ 18.2%  Buckle, Inc.

+ 11.0%  Cato

+  9.1%   Wal-Mart de Mexico

+  6.9%   PriceSmart

+  6.7%   Sam's*

+  6.1%   McDonald's

+  6.1%   Duckwall-Alco

+  6.0%   Ross Stores

+  5.7%   Walgreen

+  5.5%   BJ's Wholesale Club*

+  5.0%   Children's Place

+  5.0%   Fred's

+  3.1%   Hot Topic

+  3.0%   TJX Companies, Inc.

+  2.5%   Wal-Mart

+  1.0%   Old Navy

+  0.3%   Target

-  1.2%   Destination Maternity Corp.

-  1.5%   Stage Stores

-  2.0%   Costco

-  2.2%   Wet Seal

-  5.0%   American Eagle Outfitters

-  5.1%   Bon-Ton

-  5.8%   Lumber Liquidators

-  6.0%   Dillard's

-  6.2%   Kohl's

-  6.6%   JC Penney

-  8.0%   Banana Republic

-  9.1%   Macy's

- 10.0%   Gap

- 10.8%   Nordstrom

- 12.3%   Stein Mart

- 14.0%   Zumiez

- 22.0%   Abercrombie & Fitch

- 24.6%   Neiman Marcus

- 32.0%   Saks

*Excludes fuel sales

The figures above reflect only domestic same store sales whenever the company separates its domestic and international figures in its published reports.

Compare these April same store sales figures with previous months:

• January, 2009 Same Store Sales
• February, 2009 Same Store Sales
• March, 2009 Same Store Sales
• First Quarter 2009 Results Photo Gallery

The lift in April same store sales created both consumer and industry optimism, which will be followed closely by a Mother's Day shopping month in May that is expected to be positive as well.

The future of monthly same store sales reporting is questionable after Wal-Mart announced that it would discontinue this reporting practice as of May, 2009. The company will release monthly same store sales figures as part of its quarterly reporting instead, explaining that this will reduce stock volatility and create more of a long-term focus within the investment community. It is speculated that other publicly traded U.S. retail companies may follow suit, which would diminish the value of monthly same store sales as a point of comparison for the retail industry as a whole.