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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 7, 2004)
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Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Limited Brands, TJX Cos., Target Corp., Talbots Inc. and May Department Stores Co. were among the retailers that reported disappointing sales Thursday. "It was winterlike weather in the Northeast, but there were other factors too," said Michael P. Niemira, chief economist at The International Council of Shopping Centers. "It’s hard to pin down. There were so many things going on." A fairly early Easter prompt ed consumers to shop in March. Niemira estimated. He also believes retailers are beginning to see the effects of higher gaso line and food prices. Niemira’s preliminary tally for 70 retailers was up 4.4 per cent, below the 5 percent gain that he had expected. The International Council of Shopping Centers-UBS tally is based on what the industry calls same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, those sales are considered the best indicator of a retailer’s health. Tax refunds and low interest rates gave consumers extra cash early in the year, but Niemira expects a slower pace as those factors wane. Still, he said 2(X)4 could be retailers’ best year since 1999. Wal-Mart announced a gain of 4.4 percent in April, slightly below the 4.5 percent estimate of Wall Street analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call. Total sales were up I 1.7 percent. Target Corp., dragged down by its Mervyn’s division, had a disappointing 4.9 percent gain in same-store sales in April. That was below the 5.4 percent Wall Street anticipated. Total sales were up I l.K percent. Costco Wholesale Corp. reported a 10 percent increase in same-store sales, a bit below the 9.8 percent Wall Street estimate. Total sales rose 13 percent J.C. Penney Co. Inc. reported same-store sales at its department store business was up 5.3 percent, higher than the 5 percent forecast. Total sales were up 4.4 percent. Federated Department Stores Inc. reported a 5.4 percent increase in same-store sales, above the 5 percent Wall Street estimated. Total sales were up 5.5 percent. May and Sears. Roebuck and Co. had disappointing results. May had a 7.5 percent decrease in same-store sales, much worse than the 0.2 percent Retail sales Here is a look at the percent change in major retailers'sales from the same month April 2004 Wal-Mart 4.4%f J.C. Penney Co. Inc. B.Wl TJX Cos. 5.0\f Limited Brands Inc. 2.0%| Target Corp. Gap Inc. Dillard’s Inc. Saks Inc. 4.9M 3.0%tp aSl Federated Department Stores Inc. 7.6\f 5.4\f May Department Stores Co. -7.5\J Sears. Roebuck and Co. •mi NOTE: Sales include those from stow open at least a year. Reporting pencils vary slightly and not al 'etatershavett same fiscal year. SOURCE Associated Press If decline Wall Street expected Total sales fell 6.8 percent. Sears struggled with a |j percent decline in same-stat domestic sales; analysts hai expected a 1.2 percent increase Total sales fell 2.8 percent. Limited Brands reported*, percent increase in same-: sales for April, below the 41 percent forecast. Total sales rose I percent. NAT the AL teforn move “0 jimir icasnt orks Ke of ins; (ered “L jrllne mned dftthi Thi [edo Ab East' ho v pf ins. pro o mined “T itatal Char •end letos Dr. Ja. | To NEWS IN BRIEF Two priests defrocked in Boston sex scandal Thursday BOSTON (AP) — Paul Shanley. a central figure in the child-molestation scandal that rocked the Boston Archdiocese, has been defrocked, along with another priest imprisoned for raping a 12-year-old boy, the church announced Thursday. In a letter dated May 3 and obtained by The Associated Press, Archbishop Sean O’Malley informed Shanley that Pope John Paul II decided on Feb. 19 to remove him from the priesthood. The archdiocese released a statement later Thursday confirming Shanley’s dismissal, and announced that Ronald H. Paquin - who was sen tenced last year to 12 to 15 years behind bars for raping an altar boy - also was defrocked. Shanley is awaiting trial on charges of raping four boys. Ja: foi JA! gravr drag itiree tiale A into jam< Ja: Chris sion Storage the Student can Trust! • Commercial & Residential • Fenced, Controlled Access 7 Days a Week • Security Lighting • Military Discounts • Temperature Controlled Storage •5x5 - 10x30 • Boat & RV Storage • Convenient Office Hours • Moving Supplies Convenient Locations in Bryan/College Station 2306 S. College Ave., Bryan 4014 S. Texas Ave., C.S. 1218 Baker St., Bryan 825 Graham, C.S 775-5738 690-6777 Longmire Self Storage Discover Visa Mastercard 3400 Longmire Dr., C.S. 3007 Longmire Dr., C.S. 694-2186 Call for directions to store r 1
