Wal-Mart Gets Sam’s Lift to Post 3.2% July Comp Sales Gain

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. reported net sales for the four-week period ending July 30, 2004, of $20.6 billion, an increase of 10.9% over the $18.6 billion in the same four-week period in the prior year. Sales for the twenty-six week period were $135.065 billion, an increase of 12.1 percent over $120.517 billion in the similar period in the prior year.

The Wal-Mart Division's sales for the four-week period were $13.764 billion, up 9.3 percent over sales of $12.588 billion in the same four-week period in the prior year. The Division's sales for the twenty-six weeks of $90.593 billion were up 10.8 percent over $81.797 billion in the similar prior-year period.

SAM'S CLUB sales for the four-week period were $2.707 billion, up 8.8 percent over sales of $2.487 billion in the same four-week period in the prior year. Club sales for the twenty-six weeks of $18.086 billion were up 9.7 percent over the $16.482 billion in the similar prior-year period.

The International Division's sales for the four-week period were $4.139 billion, up 17.8 percent over sales of $3.514 billion in the same four- week period in the prior year. The Division's sales for the twenty-six weeks of $26.386 billion were up 18.7 percent over the $22.238 billion in the similar prior-year period.

Comparable sales for the periods ending July 30, 2004 and August 1, 2003, were as follows:

                                4 Weeks                 26 Weeks
                         This Year   Last Year    This Year    Last Year
  Wal-Mart                 2.4 %        4.5 %        3.9 %        2.8 %
  SAM'S CLUB               7.7 %        5.1 %        8.3 %        3.0 %
  Total U.S.               3.2 %        4.6 %        4.6 %        2.8 %

For the August four-week period, we forecast comparative sales for the U.S. to be up in the 2 to 4 percent range.