Limited Brands same-store sales fall 5 percent

Same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, is a key indicator of retailer performance since it measures growth at existing stores rather than newly opened ones.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial, on average, estimated a 2.3 percent decline in same-store sales.

Total net sales in the April period fell 16 percent to $577.5 million from $688 million in the same period last year.

Same-store sales at the company's Victoria's Secret Stores fell 4 percent, while Bath & Body Works same-store sales dropped 8 percent. La Senza same-store sales rose 5 percent in April.