Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Saturday said demand increased for hurricane-related merchandise including water, canned meat and sleeping bags, and it maintained its September sales forecast.
On a recorded message updating sales through Friday, the world's biggest retailer said it still expects a 2 percent to 4 percent increase in September sales at its U.S. stores open for at least a year, and demand for groceries was stronger than general merchandise sales.
The strongest sales regions included Texas, where thousands of New Orleans-area residents were evacuated following Hurricane Katrina. Sales were strong across much of the U.S. South and Southeast, Wal-Mart said.
Wal-Mart repeated that its forecast was subject to any impact from the hurricane and rising oil prices. The retailer said it had reopened all but 15 of the 126 stores and corporate facilities that were closed due to the hurricane. Nine locations were severely damaged.
Wal-Mart's chief executive officer said earlier this week that one of the retailer's Louisiana stores was reduced to nothing but half of a wall and safe.
