Sears Reports April Comparable Store Sales
Sears, Roebuck and Co. (NYSE: S) announced today that comparable domestic store revenues decreased 1.8 percent for the four weeks ended May 1, 2004. Total domestic store revenues were $1.94 billion for the four-week period in April 2004, down 2.8 percent compared with the four weeks ended May 3, 2003.
"Our Home Group's positive sales momentum continued, as we recorded strong revenue increases in home appliances and consumer electronics in April," said Sears Chairman and CEO Alan J. Lacy. "A number of factors contributed to unsatisfactory apparel sales during the month, including one fewer week of pre-Easter holiday sales in April 2004, versus the comparable month a year ago."
Most off-the-mall formats posted comparable store sales growth in April, paced by Orchard Supply Hardware and The Great Indoors.
Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Domestic Store Revenues & Comparable Store Revenues
(*According to National Retail Federation Fiscal Calendar.)
(**A store is considered to be comparable at the beginning of the
13th month after the store is opened.)
Fiscal Period Ending Percent Change
May 1, May 3, All Comp
2004 2003 Stores Stores**
April $1,938,200,000 $1,994,000,000 -2.8% -1.8%
Year-to-Date* $6,050,700,000 $6,144,700,000 -1.5% -0.2%
The company has made available by phone a recorded message on sales performance of its domestic stores for April 2004. The message can be heard by calling (847) 286-6111 and will be available for approximately one week.
About Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services. With revenues in 2003 of $41.1 billion, the company offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,300 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the U.S. and Canada, which includes approximately 870 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears is the only retailer where consumers can find each of the Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End brands together -- among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the largest provider of product repair services with more than 14 million services calls made annually.
SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.
CONTACT: News Media, Edgar P. McDougal, +1-847-286-9669, or Investor,
Scott A. Bohaboy, +1-847-286-7419, both of Sears, Roebuck and Co.
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