ABC-MART's domestic same-store sales rose 14.9% in September from a year earlier, with customer count up 10.4% and spend per customer up 4.1%, according to its monthly sales update for the year to February 2027. Across all stores, sales rose 14.6%, customer count 9.9% and spend per customer 4.3%.
A change in mix
The growth came mostly from more shoppers. In the same-store series, customer count fell 12.6% in June, fell 0.7% in July and rose 0.9% in August, while spend per customer rose 6.0% to 7.4% in each of those three months. September reversed that pattern, with customers up 10.4% and spend per customer up 4.1%.
What management points to
The company's own explanation has three parts. September had one more holiday in its weekday layout than the year before. Typhoons and heavy rain persisted, but falling temperatures lifted early sales of autumn goods, and both customer numbers and sales rose, mainly at shopping-centre stores. Promoted new sneakers and set-up jersey apparel sold well. The release does not say how much each factor contributed.
Caveats on the comparison
From the year to February 2027, the domestic figures include Oshman's, and stores closed for a full month for renovation or similar reasons are left out of same-store sales. The company's reference table for the previous year covers the ABC-MART business alone and shows September same-store sales up 1.3% and all-store sales up 1.1%, so the two series are not like for like.
The update also records the aftermath of the July Kumamoto earthquake. Two stores that had been shut reopened during September and one remains closed. An ABC-MART store and an ABC-MART SPORTS store, both in Aeon Mall sites, have closed. The company opened six stores and closed two in the month.
ABC-MART plans to publish October sales on Wednesday, November 4.