WITH ROB SAMTMANN
Walmart grocery comps rise as overall comps fall
Walmart announced yesterday that overall U.S. comparable-store sales, excluding fuel, for its fiscal first quarter were down by 1.2%. The company blames the decrease on smaller and slower-arriving tax returns, and unseasonable weather.
Grocery sales were better than overall sales, as grocery comps were in the "low single-digits." Similar comps were reported for the Neighborhood Market grocery stores, and Sam's Club, which is gearing up for a membership fee increase, saw comps improve by 0.1% in the quarter.
Overall Walmart sales in the U.S. increased by 0.3% to $66.6 billion, and companywide sales increased 1% to $113.4 billion.
Exact figures on the number of times customers heard the phrase "Welcome to Walmart" when entering the store were not released.
Rob Samtmann
Rob is Managing Principal of Equity CRE and he specializes in tenant representation and leasing.
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