NEW YORK (AP) -- Saks Inc. said Thursday that its revenue at stores open at least a year rose 4 percent in May, crediting strong demand for women's clothing and shoes.
The growth beat Wall Street predictions. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected an increase of 2.5 percent.
Same-store sales are an important measure of a retailer's health because they exclude the volatility from stores that opened or closed during the past year.
For the four weeks ended May 26, total sales rose 3.7 percent to $215.8 million.
Saks said sales were strongest during the month for women's apparel, women's shoes, fashion and fine jewelry, cosmetics and fragrances, men's contemporary apparel and men's shoes.
For the four months ended May 26, same-store sales rose 4.6 percent, while total sales increased 4.1 percent to $959.7 million.
New York-based Saks operates 45 Saks Fifth Avenue stores, 61 Saks OFF 5TH stores, along with the website saks.com.
