BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Wal-Mart Stores reported this week that sales of grocery products exceeded half of all its sales for the first time in 2009.
In its annual 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the discounter, based here, cited 51% of sales from groceries in the most recently ended fiscal year, vs. 49% in the preceding year.
Sales of hardlines and apparel each fell by 1% compared with the preceding year, to 11% and 10%, respectively. Sales in the entertainment category (13% of the total), health and wellness (10%) and home furnishings (5%) were flat with the 2008 results.
The shift to a greater mix of grocery items (which includes HBC, cleaning products and paper goods) comes as some analysts see the retailer taking a more aggressive stance on those products in 2010 in terms of pricing.
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