Wal-Mart de Mexico (Walmex) has reported that same-store sales increased 3.2 per cent on a year-on-year basis during May, falling considerably from last year's increase of 8.5 per cent through the month.
On top of the current global economic crisis, the retailer was impacted by the country's swine flu outbreak, which led to the closure of parts of the economy as well as some schools during the month, Reuters reported.
The results were below Reuters' analysts' estimates of a 4 per cent increase, with the expected panic buying of canned food and bottled water in the face of the swine flu outbreak not materialising.
Same-store traffic jumped 1.8 per cent through May, with customers purchasing on average 1.4 per cent more products during trip to outlets than in the corresponding period of 2008.
