Costco Wholesale Corp. reported same-store sales slipped 2% in August.
Lower gas prices and the stronger dollar weighed on results. Excluding both items, same-store sales gained 2% for the month.
Total sales for the period ended Aug. 30 were flat at $5.4 billion, while fourth-quarter sales fell 3% to $21.9 billion.
Costco said in a recorded message that some of its strongest categories included food, candy and frozen food items. The company said it had a slight improvements in non-food categories such as sporting goods, toys, seasonal and hardware.
Year-to-date, same-store sales declined 4% and total sales dropped 2% to $69.9 billion. Same-store sales rose 3% excluding lower gas prices and the stronger dollar.
