Ross sees improved May sales

PLEASANTON, Calif. Ross Stores reported that sales for the four weeks ended May 30 increased 10% to $564 million from $513 million for the four weeks ended May 31, 2008. Same-store sales for the month increased 4% on top of a strong 7% gain in the prior year.

Michael Balmuth, vice chairman, president and CEO, commented, "We are very pleased with our solid sales gains in May, especially given the difficult prior year comparison. We believe that our performance continues to benefit mainly from our ongoing focus on delivering fresh and exciting bargains to today's increasingly value-oriented consumers. Weather in many of our key markets was also favorable during the month. dresses and shoes remained the strongest merchandise categories in May, while the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast were the best-performing regions."