Full Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Same Store Sales Results - Complete List

U.S. retail companies measure and report full-year same store sales because the figure is supposed to reveal the year-over-year strength and growth or weakness and retraction of a chain. Same store sales figures exclude new store openings, which would inflate overall sales numbers artificially.

For most of 2009, the U.S. economy was in a technical recession. But since the 2009 full-year same store sales figures were being compared to an even worse recession year in 2008, even though retail business was still bad, according to same store sales figures, some chains seemed to do well. It is important to remember that positive same store sales numbers in 2009 were preceded by multiple years of negative same store sales declines, so any positive movement is relative to that.

While some chains seem to have fared well in 2009, their sales levels are still at 2005 and 2006 levels, in most cases. Most companies that reported negative same store sales for the entire fiscal year, are posting those negatives on top of one or more prior negative years as well. Just because the recession is technically over, doesn't mean that the U.S. retail industry automatically moved into recovery.

Since each company in the U.S. retail industry determines its own fiscal calendar, some of the figures below are considered to be "FY 2009" and some are considered to be "FY 2010" to the individual company. Regardless of the company's accounting labels, the figures below represent the sales that occurred mostly in the calendar year of 2009. The date that marks the end of the fiscal year is listed for each company.

This FY same store sales list below is arranged according to same store sales percentages, from highest to lowest. See also the list arranged alphabetically by company, or arranged according to fiscal year ending date.

Fiscal Year Same Store Sales Results:

Dollar General
FY ended January 29, 2010
+9.5%

Kirkland's
FY ended January 30, 2010
+8.4%

rue 21
FY ended January 30, 2010
+7.8%

TJX
FY ended January 30, 2010
+6.0%

Best Buy
FY ended January 31, 2010
+1.7%

Jo-Ann Stores
FY ended January 30, 2010
+1.4%

Ulta
FY ended January 30, 2010
+1.4%

Cato
FY ended January 30, 2010
+1.0%

Hibbett Sports
FY ended January 30, 2010
+0.7%

AFC (Popeye's)
FY ended December 27, 2009
+0.6%

Citi Trends
FY ended January 30, 2010
+0.6%

Fred's
FY ended January 30, 2010
+0.4%

Hancock Fabrics
FY ended January 30, 2010
+0.2%

Michael's
FY ended January 30, 2010
+0.2%

Arden B
FY ended January 30, 2010
-0.2%

Cabela's
FY ended January 2, 2010
-0.5%

Rubio's Restaurants
FY ended December 27, 2009
-0.7%

Pep Boys
FY ended January 30, 2010
-1.2%

Children's Place
FY ended January 31, 2010
-2.0%

Hastings Entertainment
FY ended January 31, 2010
-3.5%

REI
FY ended
-3.5%

Books-a-Million
FY ended January 20, 2010
-3.8%

Nordstrom
FY ended January 30, 2010
-4.2%

Sbarro
FY ended December 27, 2009
-4.9%

Williams-Sonoma
FY ended
-5.1%

Bon-Ton
FY ended January 30, 2010
-5.4%

Sbarro
FY ended December 27, 2009
-5.6%

Stein Mart
FY ended January 30, 2009
-5.6%

Famous Dave's
FY ended January 3, 2010
-6.3%

GameStop
FY ended
-7.9%

Golfsmith
FY ended
-7.9%

Wet Seal
FY ended January 30, 2010
-8.5%

American Apparel
FY ended December 31, 2009
-10.0%

Trans World Entertainment
FY ended
-10.0%

Zumiez
FY ended January 31, 2010
-10.0%

Tiffany & Co.
FY ended January 31, 2010
-15.0%

Pacific Sunwear
FY ended January 30, 2010
-20.0%