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.