SECTOR MONTHLY SAME STORE SALES
 

COMPARABLE STORE SALES AUGUST 2008


Welcome to the new Global Credit Services "Interactive Graph Interface". This new graph enables the user to plot a company's performance against the best and worst performers in retail over the last two years. The Best of Breed may be a different company each month from those retailers who report monthly comparable store sales. This Interactive Graphing product allows the user to click on any company in the report and that company's results gets charted against the best and worst performers over this time period.

Industry Credit
Rating
Company YTD Monthly Comp
Change - %
Net Sales
(in millions)
Sales
% Change
Aug Prior Year Aug Prior Year
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       



Companies Ranked by Industry

Credit
Rating
Apparel Stores Monthly Comp
Change - %
Net Sales
(in millions)
Sales
% Change
Aug Prior Year Aug Prior Year
A+  BUCKLE INC,THE  22.40  16.70  77.50  59.90  29
B+  AEROPOSTALE INC  13.00  1.70  207.90  168.20  24
B-  ROSS STORES INC  9.00  4.00  504.00  461.00  9
A-  AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS INC  5.00  9.00  320.00  311.30  3
C  FREDS INC  2.10  1.70  129.20  129.00  0
B-  TJX COMPANIES INC  0.00  4.00  1500.00  1400.00  7
D  CHILDRENS PLACE RETAIL STORES  0.00  5.00  145.10  185.80  -22
B-  HOT TOPIC INC  -2.70  -1.10  71.60  71.20  1
NR  GAP INC  -5.00  2.00  0.00  0.00  0
B-  CACHE INC  -6.00  7.00  16.30  17.20  -5
D+  PACIFIC SUNWEAR OF CALIFORNIA INC  -6.00  9.80  163.10  181.60  -10
NR  LIMITED STORES INC ,THE/LIMITED BRANDS  -7.00  1.00  588.40  565.20  4
B-  GAP INC,THE  -8.00  -1.00  1140.00  1200.00  -5
NR  VICTORIAS SECRET STORES INC/LIMITED BRANDS  -8.00  0.01  0.00  0.00  0
B-  CATO CORP  -8.00  2.00  55.60  59.20  -6
B-  WET SEAL INC  -8.70  1.70  55.40  56.10  -1
NR  OLD NAVY/THE GAP INC  -9.00  -4.00  0.00  0.00  0
D  STEIN MART INC  -9.90  -5.20  86.80  92.50  -6
C+  CHICOS FAS INC  -10.00  -9.30  116.20  118.80  -2
B+  ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO  -11.00  6.00  405.50  425.40  -5
NR  BANANA REPUBLIC INC/THE GAP INC  -14.00  7.00  0.00  0.00  0

Credit
Rating
Dept Stores & Catalogs Monthly Comp
Change - %
Net Sales
(in millions)
Sales
% Change
Aug Prior Year Aug Prior Year
C  JC PENNEY CO INC  -4.90  -4.00  1500.00  1560.00  -4
B-  KOHLS CORP  -5.80  -0.60  1255.00  1200.00  5
C  SAKS INC/FKA PROFFITTS INC  -5.90  18.20  200.50  213.50  -6
C+  STAGE STORES INC  -8.30  -2.60  119.80  123.50  -3
E+  BON TON STORES INC  -10.30  1.50  207.10  228.30  -9
F+  GOTTSCHALKS INC  -11.10  -7.80  37.20  42.90  -13

Credit
Rating
Drug Stores Monthly Comp
Change - %
Net Sales
(in millions)
Sales
% Change
Aug Prior Year Aug Prior Year
B-  WALGREEN COMPANY INC  0.90  6.50  4903.10  4620.00  6
E  RITE AID CORP  -1.30  -1.00  2474.00  2510.00  -1

Credit
Rating
Mass Merchandisers-Retail Monthly Comp
Change - %
Net Sales
(in millions)
Sales
% Change
Aug Prior Year Aug Prior Year
C+  BJS WHOLESALE CLUB  15.40  1.40  774.40  661.70  17
B-  COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP  9.00  2.00  5410.00  4840.00  12
NR  SAMS CLUB  7.50  5.20  3634.00  3340.00  9
C+  FAMILY DOLLAR STORES INC  3.60  1.00  523.70  494.40  6
B-  WAL MART STORES INC  3.50  3.10  30667.00  28220.00  9
B-  TARGET CORP  -2.10  6.10  4852.00  4710.00  3
D-  DUCKWALL ALCO STORES INC  -11.10  7.70  35.70  37.40  -5

Credit
Rating
Sporting Goods Retail Monthly Comp
Change - %
Net Sales
(in millions)
Sales
% Change
Aug Prior Year Aug Prior Year
A  ZUMIEZ INC  0.20  17.40  53.20  47.00  13

Credit
Rating
Specialty Retail Monthly Comp
Change - %
Net Sales
(in millions)
Sales
% Change
Aug Prior Year Aug Prior Year
NR  BATH & BODY WORKS/LIMITED BRANDS  -5.00  1.00  0.00  0.00  0



Performance Insight


Top 10 Retail Performers

Industry Credit
Rating
Company Comp %
APP    A+ BUCKLE INC,THE 22.4 
MM    C+ BJS WHOLESALE CLUB 15.4 
APP    B+ AEROPOSTALE INC 13.0 
MM    B- COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP 9.0 
APP    B- ROSS STORES INC 9.0 
MM    NR SAMS CLUB 7.5 
APP    A- AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS INC 5.0 
MM    C+ FAMILY DOLLAR STORES INC 3.6 
MM    B- WAL MART STORES INC 3.5 
APP    C FREDS INC 2.1 


Rising Stars - Most Improved

Industry Credit
Rating
Company TY LY
MM    C+ BJS WHOLESALE CLUB 15.4 1.4
APP    B+ AEROPOSTALE INC 13.0 1.7
MM    B- COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP 9.0 2.0
APP    A+ BUCKLE INC,THE 22.4 16.7
APP    B- ROSS STORES INC 9.0 4.0
MM    C+ FAMILY DOLLAR STORES INC 3.6 1.0
MM    NR SAMS CLUB 7.5 5.2
APP    C FREDS INC 2.1 1.7
MM    B- WAL MART STORES INC 3.5 3.1
DR    E RITE AID CORP - 1.3 - 1.0


Bottom 10 Retail Performers

Industry Credit
Rating
Company Comp %
APP    NR BANANA REPUBLIC INC/THE GAP INC - 14.0 
MM    D- DUCKWALL ALCO STORES INC - 11.1 
DEP    F+ GOTTSCHALKS INC - 11.1 
APP    B+ ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO - 11.0 
DEP    E+ BON TON STORES INC - 10.3 
APP    C+ CHICOS FAS INC - 10.0 
APP    D STEIN MART INC - 9.9 
APP    NR OLD NAVY/THE GAP INC - 9.0 
APP    B- WET SEAL INC - 8.7 
DEP    C+ STAGE STORES INC - 8.3 


Falling Stars - Sharpest Decline

Industry Credit
Rating
Company TY LY
DEP    C SAKS INC/FKA PROFFITTS INC - 5.9 18.2
APP    NR BANANA REPUBLIC INC/THE GAP INC - 14.0 7.0
MM    D- DUCKWALL ALCO STORES INC - 11.1 7.7
SG    A ZUMIEZ INC 0.2 17.4
APP    B+ ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO - 11.0 6.0
APP    D+ PACIFIC SUNWEAR OF CALIFORNIA INC - 6.0 9.8
APP    B- CACHE INC - 6.0 7.0
DEP    E+ BON TON STORES INC - 10.3 1.5
APP    B- WET SEAL INC - 8.7 1.7
APP    B- CATO CORP - 8.0 2.0


Industry Performance

Industry Industry Highest Median Lowest
RETAIL SECTOR
22.4  - 2.3  - 14.0 
APP Apparel Stores 22.4  - 2.9  - 14.0 
DEP Dept Stores & Catalogs - 4.9  - 7.7  - 11.1 
DR Drug Stores 0.9  - 0.2  - 1.3 
MM Mass Merchandisers-Retail 15.4  3.7  - 11.1 
SR Specialty Retail - 5.0  - 5.0  - 5.0 
SG Sporting Goods Retail 0.2  0.2  0.2 


Industry Performance

The back-to-school season was lackluster and the sales racks were lean. Usually lean sales racks indicate that the season was booming and that there is little to put on sale, but this season it was due to very tight inventories. In a time when money is tight, forecasting inventory needs is a science and many are erring on the side of caution. This has resulted in better profit margins, but has resulted in lost sales and customers searching long and hard for sale items. Of course, everyone was shopping at Wal Mart, which beat Wall Street expectations. With a continued focus on essentials and fears of more increases in food prices and still high gas prices, consumers are buying the basics and looking for the best value at the best price. In addition, they want it all in the same place, so they don't have to drive around spending more on gas than the deal they are looking for. An increase in unemployment and no sign of a turnaround in the economic environment are unwelcoming signs to the retail industry as retailers begin to prepare for the holiday season. Consumers are not happy and don't have a lot of money to throw around. Even with gas prices easing a bit, consumers are wary. All this foretells a less than stellar holiday season.



COMPARABLE STORE SALES REPORT

Global Credit Services' Comparable Store Sales Report focuses on macro consumer economic pattern in combination with insightful commentary. We include our proprietary rating for each company as an additional criterion to aid subscribers' assessments.

The Comparable Store Sales Report is comprised of six sections:
Top 10 Retailers
Rising stars - Most Improved
Bottom 10 Retailers
Falling Stars - Sharpest Decline
Industry Comp Performance
Alphabetic list of retail sales performances and comps

Proprietary Rating Definitions:
A - Requirements
B - Low Risk
C - Moderate Risk
D - Moderately High Risk
E - High Risk
F - Distressed Company

Methodology:
Multiple operating units of a company are reported separately as well as on a consolidated basis. Each operating unit references its parent.


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