CVS Caremark Corp. (NYSE: CNS), reported on Tuesday a 6.2 percent rise in May sales for its stores open for more than one year.

Same-store pharmacy sales increased 6.0 percent, but were negatively impacted due to recent generic drug introductions, it said. Same-store sales of general, or front-end merchandise such as candy, rose 6.6 percent.

It said that same store sales in the May did not include the drugstores in acquired on June 2, 2006, which would instead be included in same store sales beginning in fiscal July 2007.

During the month of May, the drugstore chain and pharmacy opened 15 new stores, closed 5 stores and relocated 5 others.

Shares of CVS Caremark lost 37 cents, or 0.95 percent, to $38.50 in afternoon trading.