Wal-Mart Suffers Lackluster December

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Bentonville, Ark.) reported that same-store sales for its 2810-store Wal-Mart division were up just 3.3 percent for the five-week December holiday selling season ending Jan. 3, 2003.

Sales for the world's largest retailer have become a beacon for overall retail performance in the sluggish post-September 11 economy of the past 15 months. A year ago, the Wal-Mart division reported a same-store sales increase of 8.2 percent.

The Sam's Club division showed a 2.8 percent decrease in same-store sales for the period. A year ago, that 522-store chain enjoyed a 7.1 percent gain.