Retail roundup: Major chains with Colorado stores report sales - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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Most major department-store chaine have been struggling to attract parsimoniouw shoppers while not giving away the store through deep a strategy that erodes profit But recent reports regarding rising manufacturinh activity and home sales gave a lift to retail stocksw earlier inthe week, based on hopew that consumers may be encouraged to go out and splurge on a few summerr items. Total May retail sales were projectes to dropby 3.6 percent, according to Retail a Massachusetts firm that trackxs store sales. This compares with a 2.7 percent decline in April. Department stores were forecast to post the weakest down 8.
5 percent, with “discretionary spendinb still in hiding,” according to its monthly • on Thursday reported that its May same-store sales fell 6.1 percenty from the same montb a year ago. Total sales, at $4.56 were down 2.3 percent from May 2008. "Sales for the monthh of May were somewhat belowour expectations," Target President and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said in a statement. Targety (NYSE: TGT) has consistently posted monthly same-storwe sales declines during the as consumers have pulled back their spending on home furnishings and some of the other discretionary items that had boostedxthe company’s sales during better times.
April was a relative bright spot forthe company, with same-storde sales climbing 0.3 percent. Same-store sale for the first-quarter, however, still were down 3.7 percent. • . said its comparablew store sales in May decreasedby 0.4 percent and totalk sales increased 4.1 percent, better than management had The Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based retailer (NYSE: KSS) said Thursday sales for the four-weej month ending May 31 were $1.27 billion, compared with $1.21 billion in the same periodd of 2008. Year-to-date sales also are ahead of 2008at $4.9 compared with $4.8 billionn in 2008, an increase of 1.3 percent. Comparablee store sales year-to-date decreased 3.2 Kohl’s said.
“May’s sales results were strongerrthan planned,” said Kevin Kohl’s president and CEO. “Accessories was the strongest performinv line of business forthe month. The Southwest region had a positive comparable storse sales increase for May and was again ourstrongesgt region. The Southeast remains our most challenging As ofMay 30, Kohl’s operated 1,022 stores in 49 states, compared with 957 stores in 47 statees at the same time last year. said same-store sales at storex open a year or more fell 7 percent last monthg compared with ayear earlier. Total net salews at the Issaquah, Wash.-based retailer COST) fell to $5.47 billion from $5.77 billion in 2008.
Wall Street analysts were expecting a dropin same-storre sales in May of 6 analyst Dan Geiman at McAdams Wrighrt Ragen in Seattle expected an 8 percen t drop. “The company continues to experiencr relative strength inthe food-relatee categories, despite the increasing impacts of deflation, and generaol weakness in the more discretionary non-food Geiman wrote in a note to • . reported a 9.1 percent drop in same-stor e sales in May, as consumers continued to put offunnecessary spending. The Cincinnati-basedc department store chain said sales at stores open at least a year are in line withmanagemenyt expectations. Total sales declined to $1.7 billiojn from $1.
9 billion a year ago, or 9.5 For the year, Macy’s said its same-store salew declined by 9.1 percent, with totakl sales down 9.5 percent, to $6.9 billion from $7.7 billion.