Mothers Work Sept. same-store sales decline

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

Total sales for the month slipped 5.8 percent to $43.7 million from $46.4 million in September 2007.

The company attributed the year-over-year sales decline for the month primarily on a decrease in Sears leased department sales due to the June closure of all of the company's remaining leased departments within Sears stores.

Mothers Work said September same-store sales were also hurt by having four Saturdays and four Sundays in the month compared to five Saturdays and five Sundays in September 2007 and due to the earlier timing of Labor Day compared to last year. It said that excluding that impact, it estimates same-store sales for September rose 2.7 percent. The September results exclude three locations that remained closed due to Hurricanes Ike and Gustav.

As of the end of September, the company operated 754 stores, 278 leased department locations and 1,032 total retail locations.