Costco same-store sales rebound in April

Online sales continue to fall at Costco Wholesale Club.

The membership warehouse club retailer reported net sales of $17.85 billion for the retail month (four weeks) of April, up 3% from $17.33 billion last year.

Total company comparable sales rebounded after falling 1.1% increasing in March, increasing 1.4% in April. U.S. comps rose 0.9%, while comps in Canada increased 0.5%. Other international comps rose 4.9%. E-commerce sales fell 5.9%. 

Excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange, total company comparable sales rose 4.3%, with a 2.9% increase in the U.S., and an 8.3% increase in Canada. E-commerce sales fell 4.9%.

Food and sundries performed best in April, while nonfood categories lagged behind, according to Costco. The weakest categories were home furnishings, consumer electronics and jewelry.

For the 35 weeks ended April 30, Costco’s total company comparable sales are up 4.1%, and U.S. comps are up 5.1%. E-commerce sales are down 7.6%.

Excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange, total company comp sales are up 5.9% for the 35 weeks, and U.S. comps rose 4.9%. E-commerce sales fell 6.4%.

As previously reported, Costco expects to open 24 new warehouses in its current fiscal year, which includes 14 U.S. locations. In addition to China, Costco’s new international include its first-ever stores in New Zealand and Sweden, both of which opened during its first quarter.

Costco currently operates 851 warehouses, including 585 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 107 in Canada, 40 in Mexico, 32 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 18 in Korea, 14 in Taiwan, 14 in Australia, four in Spain, three in China, two in France, and one each in Iceland, New Zealand and Sweden. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia.