Discount sector shines in April

New York City Discount’s two major retail players outperformed expectations in April, with both Wal-Mart Stores and Target reaping positive results from warmer weather and more positive U.S. consumer attitudes.

Wal-Mart Stores said Thursday its same-store sales rose 5% in April. Analysts had predicted a 2.9% increase.

The company attributed the positive results to sales of Easter merchandise and higher traffic in the month. Wal-Mart also said it would no longer report monthly same-store sales, saying it will report sales data when it releases its quarterly results.

Wal-Mart said same-store sales increased 5.9% at its namesake U.S. stores and 0.3% at Sam's Club warehouse stores. Same-store sales rose 4%, including fuel.

"We gained new customers, improved our market share position and found that when customers had more money to spend, they spent it more often at Wal-Mart," said vice chairman Eduardo Castro-Wright.

Total sales for the four-week period ended May 1 increased 2% to $29.85 billion. Total first-quarter sales rose nearly 1.0% to $96.08 billion.

Target Corp., which also announced its April results on Thursday, saw a positive April performance as well.

The company reported that same-store sales rose 0.3% in April, and is predicting that its first-quarter showing will beat expectations.

Total sales rose nearly 5% to $4.44 billion. Year-to-date, same-store sales fell 3.7% and total sales rose less than 1% to $14.36 billion.

CEO Gregg Steinhafel said in a statement that financial results have been better than expected in the first quarter, due to a better performance by the company's credit-card business, lower expenses and fewer markdowns than expected.

The credit-card unit has negatively impacted results in the past, and Target sold off 47% of its credit-card receivables to JPMorgan a year ago. The company said credit-card results were in line with expectations and that it expects first-quarter earnings "well above" analyst expectations.

Ross Stores also exceeded analysts’ expectations in April, with a same-store sales rise of 6%. Total sales increased 11% to $534 million for the four weeks ended May 2. For the quarter ended May 2, sales totaled $1.692 billion, a 9% increase.

In other results:

• TJX Cos. reported Thursday that April comp-store sales increases of 3% helped propel the company to a positive first quarter. Total sales for the quarter reached $4.35 billion, up 1% over the prior-year period;

• Fred's said that same-store sales rose 5% in April as consumers gravitated to discounts amid the recession;

• Duckwell-ALCO’s April same-store sales rose 6.1% for the fourth consecutive month of same-store sales growth;

• Big Lots reported that sales fell 0.5% during its fiscal first quarter at stores open at least two years; and

• Stein Mart saw its same-store sales fall 12.3% in April, hurt in part by a timing shift of a spring sale. Total sales for the four weeks ended May 2 fell 15% to $100.2 million.