Mixed sales figures for retail stores and Flip Flop Shops announces plans to open in Puerto Rico

Retail store chains with operations in Puerto Rico have been releasing their most recent financial results, revealing both growth and declines in sales figures. Despite the fact that local sales are not reported separately, these numbers give a sense of the current state of retail industry.

Macy’s reported total sales of $1.928 billion for the four weeks ended April 28, 2012, an increase of 0.4 percent compared with total sales of $1.920 billion in the four weeks ended April 30, 2011. On a same-store basis, Macy’s, Inc. sales were up 1.2 percent in April 2012 as compared to April 2011. For the first quarter, Macy’s, Inc.’s sales totaled $6.147 billion, up 4.4 percent from total sales of $5.889 billion in the first 13 weeks of 2011. On a same-store basis, Macy’s, Inc.’s first quarter sales were up 4.4 percent in 2012 over 2011. Online sales in 2012 (macys.com and bloomingdales.com combined) were up 29.9 percent in April and 33.7 percent in the first quarter compared to 2011. Online sales positively affected the company’s same-store sales by 1.5 percentage points in the first quarter

At Wet Seal and Arden B., sales for the month of April decreased 9.1% and 12.1% respectively, when compared to the same period last year. Year to date sales at Wet Seal have decreased 7% and 11.4% for Arden B.

Perfumania reported total net sales of $17.7 million for the four week fiscal month of April 2012, which ended April 28, 2012, versus $17.9 million for the four week fiscal month of April 2011, which ended April 30, 2011. For the first quarter of 2012, total net sales were $58.1 million in the current year compared with $57.7 million last year. For the month of April 2012, comparable store sales decreased by 1.4%. For the first quarter ending April 2012, comparable store sales increased by 1.8%. Comparable store sales measure sales from stores that have been open for one year or more

Revenues at CVS Caremark's Retail Pharmacy segment increased 9.9% to $16.0 billion in the three months ended March 31, 2012. Pharmacy same store sales increased 9.8% over the same period last year. This increase in pharmacy same store sales included a significant benefit associated with Walgreens no longer being part of the Express Scripts pharmacy provider network as of January 1, 2012.

Costco Wholesale Corp posted a 4 percent rise in comparable sales in April, falling short of analysts' forecasts as the strong dollar depressed the value of its overseas sales. Analysts were expecting same-store sales to increase 5.1 percent, according to Thomson Reuters Data. International same-store sales at the largest U.S. warehouse club operator, rose 3 percent in April.

Flip Flop Shops, a retail chain dedicated to offering the latest styles of flip flops and sandals and based in North America, announced its plan to open 15 additional locations throughout the Caribbean in the next five years. As part of this strategy, Flip Flop Shops intends to open 500-900 square foot, high-profile retail locations. Flip Flop Shops is already operating in St. Maarten and St. Thomas and has two franchise locations planned to open within the next two years in San Juan, Puerto Rico.