Sales to comparable stores have better August since 2008

Walmart de México reported in August a 6.1 percent increase in its sales to comparable stores, those with more than one year in operation; and a 7.4 percent rise to total stores.

The increase in sales in the eighth month of the year was also placed as the best August for Walmart since 2008 in comparable stores, when they grew 7.4 percent. As for total stores, it did not exceed the growth of 7.5 percent last year.

The chain informed, in a document issued to the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) this Thursday, that the sales of the eighth month of the year were driven by a 4.2 percent increase in average purchase amount. Meanwhile, transactions grew 1.9 percent.

“It broke the consensus and this responds to a positive calendar effect – an extra Saturday – on the one hand, and the return to classes with a successful campaign, this is reflected both in traffic and in the average ticket, whichwhich reached the levels of Holy Week ”, commented Marcela Muñoz, Vector analyst.

The indicator of the company that owns the chains Walmart, Bodega Aurrerá, Superama and Sam’s, exceeded the expectation of the consensus of analysts from El Financiero, who expected a 4.7 and 6.5 percent increase to comparable and total stores, respectively.

The growth of Walmart reported in August is a recovery from 2.2 and 3.6 percent to comparable and total stores, respectively, in July.

“It may have been due to whatThe last half of July was paid in the middle of the week and perhaps that end-of-July consumption moved to the month of August, so the previous month was so low, ”said Verónica Uribe, an analyst at Monex.

Despite this recovery, analysts point out that the moderation in consumption continues towards the end of the year, despite economic data such as remittances, consumer credit and cconsumer confidence They have rebounded slightly in recent months.

In real terms, Walmart sales in Mexico during August cthey received 2.8 percent from comparable stores, and 4.2 percent from total stores; in both cases its best August since 2015.

For Central America, whichIn Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica, the chain showed an increase to comparable stores of 3.1 percent, and 6.1 percent to total stores.

During August, Walmart opened 13 new branches, eight of these in Mexico and five in Central America.

In the consolidated, which includes sales de Mexico and Central America, The firm reported revenues of 52,667 million pesos, an increase of 7.7 percent annually.