Warm Weather Helps to Boost February Sales

Some of the nation’s major chain stores on Thursday reported good February sales growth, but 1990 is still expected to be another tough year for the retailing industry.

Walter Loeb, a New York-based retail consultant, said unusually warm weather in the first half of the month boosted business.

Fewer general merchandise chains, discounters and department stores issued their results than usually do on the first Thursday of the month because of differences in sales-reporting calendars.

In contrast with the chains that did well last month, Sears, Roebuck & Co., the country’s biggest retailer, continued to struggle.

The giant Chicago-based general merchant, which began a new merchandising strategy a year ago hoping to reverse years of market-share losses, had a ho-hum February. Sales were virtually flat, at $2.127 billion in the four weeks ended Feb. 24, compared to $2.126 billion a year earlier.

Sales at Sears stores open a year or longer edged up only 1.5%.

Retailers and industry analysts prefer to focus on sales comparisons for stores operating at least a year, called same-store or comparable-store results. Newly opened stores typically enjoy a period of unusually brisk business that isn’t sustained over time.

One standout among the retailers reporting Thursday was Wal-Mart Stores Inc. The big Bentonville, Ark.-based discount chain said its February sales surged 33% to $1.95 billion. Sales at Wal-Marts open a year or longer posted a healthy 17% gain.

By either measure, Wal-Mart has consistently been a star performer as it expands across the country.

Currently ranked No. 3, there is widespread speculation in the industry that Wal-Mart this year could overtake Sears and K mart Corp. in merchandise sales volume in the United States.

MAJOR RETAILERS’ SALES IN FEBRUARY In millions of dollars

1989 % change Sears 2,127 +0.1 K mart* Wal-Mart Stores 1,950 +33.0 J.C. Penney 880.0 +8.1 Dayton Hudson* May Dept. Stores* Melville Corp. 503.2 +11.7 Woolworth** 330.0 +13.7 Limited Inc.* TJX*** 133.7 +15.8 Montgomery Ward 299 +1.7 Carter Hawley Hale*

** Excludes foreign sales. *** Formerly Zayre

* Reporting later