Costco(COST)2025-05-07 21:15Summary of Conference Call Company Overview - The conference call was led by Andrew Yoon, director of finance and investor relations, discussing sales results for the retail month of April, comparing it to the same period last year [1] Key Financial Metrics - Net sales for April reached 19.8 billion in the previous year [2] - The month had one less shopping day compared to last year due to the shift in Easter, negatively impacting total and comparable sales by approximately 1.5% to 2% [2] Comparable Sales Performance - Reported comparable sales for April were as follows: - US: 5.2% - Canada: 1.5% - Other International: 3.2% - Total Company: 4.4% - E-commerce: 12.6% [3] - Comparable sales excluding impacts from gasoline prices and foreign exchange were: - Total Company: 6.7% - E-commerce: 13% [3] - Comp traffic increased by 4.2% worldwide and 5% in the US [3] Impact of External Factors - Foreign currency fluctuations negatively impacted total and comparable sales: - Canada: -1.6% - Other International: -2.5% - Total Company: -0.6% [3] - Gas price deflation negatively impacted total reported comparable sales by approximately -1.7%, with the average worldwide selling price per gallon down about 13.4% year-over-year [4] Regional Performance - Strongest comparable sales in the US were observed in the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast regions [5] - Internationally, the best results were seen in Mexico, Korea, and Taiwan [5] Merchandise Highlights - Foods and sundries showed positive high single-digit growth [5] - Better performing departments included: - Fresh foods: high single digits - Meat and bakery: strong performance - Non-foods: mid to high single digits, with jewelry, majors, and home furnishings performing well [6] - Ancillary business sales were down mid to high single digits, while pharmacy, optical, and food court were the top performers [7] Future Outlook - The May reporting period will cover the four weeks beginning May 5 and ending June 1, compared to the same period last year [7]