Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco) reported net sales of $5.54 billion for the month of April, the four weeks ended May 4, 2008, an increase of 12 percent from $4.94 billion in the same four-week period last year.
For the first thirty-five weeks of its reporting period ended May 4, 2008, the Company reported net sales of $46.88 billion, an increase of 12 percent from $41.90 billion during the similar thirty-five-week period last year.
Comparable sales for the four-week and thirty-five-week periods ended May 4, 2008, were as follows:
4 Weeks: US: 7% International: 14% Total Company: 8%
35 Weeks: US: 5% International: 17% Total Company: 8%
The U.S. comparable sales figure includes, among other things, the effect of gasoline price inflation, with the average sales price per gallon of gasoline up 17% for the four-week month of April, as compared to the year-earlier April.
Excluding gasoline price inflation, U.S. comparable sales would have been up 5%. In addition, foreign exchange rates, primarily in Canada, positively impacted international comparable sales results. On a local currency basis, international comparable sales increased 6% in April.
The Company plans to release its third quarter fiscal year 2008 operating results, for the twelve weeks ending May 11, 2008, on Thursday, May 29, 2008. A conference call to discuss these third quarter results is scheduled for 8:00a.m. (PT) on May 29 and will be available via a webcast on Costco website (click on Investor Relations and Webcasts).