Comparable Store Sales

Walmart discontinued reporting monthly sales in May 2009. Beginning with fiscal year 2010, Walmart began reporting comparable store sales for the U.S. segment's results for each 13-week period based on a 4-5-4 retail calendar. Learn how we calculate comparable store sales.

On May 7, 2009, with the release of the April 2009 sales results, Walmart U.S. and Sam's Club discontinued monthly sales reports. Find historic monthly sales results for fiscal years 2009 and 2010 here.

Comparable store sales is also referred to as "same-store" sales by others within the retail industry. The method of calculating comparable store sales may vary across the industry. As a result, our calculation of comparable store sales (including the manner in which we treat fuel sales, relocations and expansions) is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

In fiscal year 2008, Walmart reviewed its definition of comparable store sales for consistency with other retailers. For fiscal year 2009, beginning Feb. 1, 2008, Walmart has revised its definition of comparable store sales to include sales from stores and clubs open for the previous 12 months, including remodels, relocations and expansions. Changes in format continue to be excluded from comparable store sales when the conversion is accompanied by a relocation or expansion that results in a change in square footage of more than five percent. Since the impact of this revision is inconsequential, the company will not restate comparable store sales results for previously reported years. This definition applies to all segments, including Walmart International.

For fiscal years 2007 and 2008, comparable store sales included all stores and clubs that were open for at least the previous 12 months. Additionally, stores and clubs that were relocated, converted or expanded were excluded from comparable store sales for the first 12 months following the relocation, conversion or expansion. For fiscal 2006 and prior years, we considered comparable store sales to be sales at stores that were open as of February 1 of the prior fiscal year and that had not been converted, expanded or relocated since that date.