U.S. Retail Industry Quarterly Same Store Sales Figures Q4 Fiscal Year 2008

This is a list of the quarterly same store sales numbers reported by top U.S. retailers in February and March, 2009. Each retail organiation has its own fiscal calendar. Consequently, the time period that is designated as "fourth quarter" for some retail industry organizations might be the "first quarter" for others. The percentages below all reflect quarterly results that include the critical 2008 holiday shopping season.

+ 34.55%   Pizza Patron

+ 14.3%   The Buckle, Inc.

+ 12.5%   Conn's, Inc.

+  11.0%   American Apparel

+  8.0%    Aeropostale

+  7.7%    Radio Shack

+  6.4%    BJ's Wholesale

+  6.4%    Family Dollar

+  6.0%    AutoZone

+  5.9%    Village Super Market (ShopRite)

+  5.0%    McDonald's

+  4.4%    Blockbuster

+  3.0%    Urban Outfitters

+  2.2%    AFC Enterprises (Popeyes)

+  1.8%    Steak n Shake

+  1.7%    Pizza Pizza

-   0.1%    Rite Aid

-   1.4%    Olive Garden

-   1.5%    Cracker Barrel

-   1.9%    Brooks Eckerd

-   2.0%    Journeys Group

-   3.2%    Darden

-   3.2%    Luby's

-   4.0%    Hat World Group

-   4.0%    Sonic

-   4.0%    Whole Foods

-   4.6%    Michael's

-   4.6%    Red Lobster

-   5.4%    LongHorn

-   6.9%    Kohl's

-   7.1%    Gottschalk's

-   6.0%    Anthropologie

-   9.4%    Bon-Ton

-  10.0%   Pacific Sunwear of CA

-  12.0%   Underground Station

-  13.0%   Free People

-  13.0%   Gap

-  13.0%   Home Depot

-  13.0%   Staples

-  13.5%   McCormick & Schmick's Seafood

-  15.0%   Banana Republic

-  16.8%   Build-A-Bear

-  17.0%   Johnston & Murphy

-  17.0%   Old Navy

-  18.0%   Office Depot

-  19.0%   Capital Grille

-  22.0%   Ann Taylor Loft

-  22.8%   Neiman Marcus

-  29.0%   Ann Taylor

U.S. retail companies measure and report "same store sales" figures because they are considered to measure the ongoing srength of sales activity. New store sales results can skew overall results higher, if there is an initial surge of activity, or lower, if the new stores have not yet built a loyal customer base. When same store sales percentages are higher or lower, it is a key indicator of the retail organization's forward or backward movement.