Phila. region same-store sales numbers out

Philadelphia-based Mother's Work Inc. credited an additional Friday and Saturday at the beginning of the month for helping boost May same-store sales.

Bon-Ton cited fewer customers and cooler weather in reporting lower same-store sales for the month, and Rite Aid Corp. reported an increase, but not as much as analysts had expected.

Same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, is a key indicator of retailer performance because it measures growth at existing stores rather than newly opened ones.

Mothers Work same-store sales climb in May

Maternity apparel retailer Mothers Work Inc., Philadelphia, said today that its same-store sales climbed 4.3 percent in May due to one extra Friday and Saturday during the period.

Total monthly sales edged up 0.2 percent to $54.2 million as improved same-store sales were mostly offset by a decline in sales from leased department and licensed relationships.

The company's leased departments within Sears will close before the end of the third quarter, as previously announced.

Mothers Work cautioned that its June same-store sales results will be hurt by one less Friday and Saturday during the period.

Mothers Work operated 760 stores, 771 leased department locations and 1,531 total retail locations as of May 31.

Bon-Ton May same-store sales down 9.9% on lower traffic

Department store operator Bon-Ton Stores Inc., York, said that same-store sales fell 9.9 percent in May on lower traffic levels and cooler weather.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected same-store sales to drop 5 percent.

The company said categories with the strongest monthly performance included ladies' spring outerwear, children's and cosmetics.

Sales for the four-week period ended May 31 sagged 8.7 percent to $214.3 million.

For the year to date, same-store sales dropped 5.9 percent, while total sales declined 5.9 percent to $914.6 million.

Bon-Ton runs 280 stores in the United States, including eleven furniture galleries.

Rite Aid May same-store sales up just 1.3%

Drugstore retailer Rite Aid Corp., Camp Hill, said that its May sales at stores open at least a year, or same-store sales, rose 1.3 percent - missing Wall Street expectations for a 2.1 percent increase.

The company's acquired Brooks Eckerd stores are excluded from May same-store sales results.

Rite Aid said pharmacy same-store sales increased 1.4 percent, hurt slightly by introductions of cheaper generic drugs, while front-end same-store sales, which include candy and cosmetics, were up 1.3 percent.

Including the Brooks Eckerd stores acquired June 4, 2007, total sales for the five weeks ended May 31 increased 47.9 percent to $2.54 billion from $1.72 billion last year. Prescription revenue accounted for 67 percent of drugstore sales, and third-party prescription revenue represented 96.2 percent of pharmacy sales.

As of May 31, Rite Aid operated 5,004 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia.