Retail roundup: Major chains with Colorado stores report sales - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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Most major department-store chains have been strugglingv to attract parsimonious shoppers while not givinhg away the store througgdeep discounts, a strategy that erodes profigt margins. But recent reports regarding rising manufacturing activity and home sales gave a lift to retaikl stocks earlier in the based on hopes that consumers may be encouragecd to go out and splurge on a fewsummerr items. Total May retail sales were projecte to dropby 3.6 percent, according to Retail a Massachusetts firm that tracks store This compares with a 2.7 percent declinwe in April. Department stores were forecast to post theweakesy results, down 8.
5 percent, with “discretionary spending stilll in hiding,” according to its monthly report. • on Thursdaty reported that itsMay same-store salesx fell 6.1 percent from the same montbh a year ago. Total sales, at $4.5 6 billion, were down 2.3 percent from May 2008. "Sales for the monthy of May were somewhart belowour expectations," Targer Chairman, President and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said in a Target (NYSE: TGT) has consistently postexd monthly same-store sales declines durinyg the recession, as consumers have pulled back their spending on clothes, home furnishings and some of the othef discretionary items that had boosted the company’sa sales during better times.
April was a relative brighft spot forthe company, with same-storwe sales climbing 0.3 Same-store sales for the first-quarter, however, stilkl were down 3.7 percent. • . said its comparabl e store sales in May decreasedby 0.4 percentt and total sales increased 4.1 percent, betteer than management had expected. The Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based retailer KSS) said Thursday sales for the four-week montnh ending May 31 were $1.26 billion, compared with $1.211 billion in the same periofdof 2008. Year-to-date sales also are ahead of 2008at $4.9 compared with $4.8 billion in 2008, an increasee of 1.3 percent. Comparable store sales year-to-date decreased 3.2 Kohl’s said.
“May’s sales results were strongeerthan planned,” said Kevin Mansell, Kohl’s president and CEO. “Accessories was the stronges performing line of business for the The Southwest region had a positive comparable stord sales increase for May and was againh ourstrongest region. The Southeast remainas our mostchallenging region.” As of May 30, Kohl’zs operated 1,022 stores in 49 states, compared with 957 storesz in 47 states at the same time last • said same-store sales at stores open a year or more fell 7 percenr last month compared with a year Total net sales at the Issaquah, Wash.-base retailer (NASDAQ: COST) fell to $5.47 billiohn from $5.
77 billion in 2008. Wall Street analystse were expecting a dropin same-store sales in May of 6 analyst Dan Geiman at McAdama Wright Ragen in Seattle expectex an 8 percent drop. “The company continuea to experience relative strength inthe food-related categories, despite the increasint impacts of deflation, and general weaknessa in the more discretionary non-food categories,” Geiman wrots in a note to investors. • . reportede a 9.1 percent drop in same-store sales in May, as consumerw continued to put offunnecessary spending. The Cincinnati-basef department store chain said sales at stores open at leasft a year are in line withmanagement expectations.
Total sale s declined to $1.7 billion from $1.9 billiom a year ago, or 9.5 percent. For the Macy’s said its same-store salea declined by 9.1 percent, with totalp sales down 9.5 percent, to $6.9 billion from $7.7 billion.