Federated Department Stores reported total sales of $1.087 billion for the four weeks ended February 26, 2005, an increase of 1.6 percent compared to total sales of $1.069 billion in the same period last year. On a same-store basis, Federated’s February sales were up 1.8 percent, ahead of its prior forecast of same-store sales that would be flat to down slightly for the month.

Federated said that because of an earlier Easter this year, it is anticipating a March same-store sales increase of about 2.5 percent, followed by a relatively flat April.