Walmart Comparable Sales (Same-Store Sales) By Segment

Grocery stores. Pexels Images.

This article presents Walmart’s comparable sales by segment. Walmart operates through two major segments in the U.S. market: Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club U.S.

Keep in mind that the comparable sales presented here is based on Walmart’s calendar comparable sales calculated using its fiscal calendar, which may result in differences when compared to comparable sales using the retail calendar.

For the difference between calendar comparable sales and retail comparable sales, you may refer to this section: calendar and retail comparable sales.

For your information, Walmart also has a version of comparable sales based on the retail calendar and has presented it in the earnings releases instead of in the annual reports.

Let’s look at the details!

For other key statistics of Walmart, you may find more resources in these pages:

Revenue

• Revenue by category: net sales and membership income,
• Membership and other income by segment: U.S., International, and Sam’s Club,
• Merchandise sales by segment: U.S., International, and Sam’s Club,
• Revenue by region: U.S. and International
• U.S. sales breakdown: grocery, merchandise, and healthcare

Other Revenue Streams

• eCommerce revenue breakdown: U.S., International, and Sam’s Club,
• Fuel sales revenue and gasoline profit margin
• Membership revenue: trend, percentage, and growth

Profit Margin

• Profit margin by segment: U.S., International, and Sam’s Club,

Other Statistics

• Capital expenditures breakdown analysis,
• Total stores worldwide and locations breakdown by region,
• revenue per store

Comparison with Costco

• Walmart vs Costco: profit margin,
• Walmart vs Costco: U.S. and International profit,
• Walmart vs Costco: total stores and average store size,

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Definitions

To help readers understand the content better, the following terms and glossaries have been provided.

Comparable Sales: Walmart’s definition of comparable sales includes sales from stores and clubs open for the previous 12 months, including remodels, relocations, expansions and conversions, as well as eCommerce sales.

According to Walmart, sales at a store that has changed in format are excluded from comparable sales when the conversion of that store is accompanied by a relocation or expansion that results in a change in the store’s retail square feet of more than 5%.

Additionally, sales related to divested businesses are excluded from comparable sales, and sales related to acquisitions are excluded until such acquisitions have been owned for 12 months.

Caldendar and Retail Comparable Sales: The difference between calendar comparable sales and retail comparable sales lies in how the time periods are structured for comparison:

• Calendar Comparable Sales: These are adjusted to align with the standard calendar year, accounting for variations like holidays or weekends. This ensures that sales comparisons are made for the same calendar dates across different years, providing a straightforward year-over-year analysis.

• Retail Comparable Sales: These are based on a retail-specific calendar, often using a 4-5-4 format (4 weeks, 5 weeks, 4 weeks per quarter). This method standardizes the number of weekends and weekdays in each period, making comparisons more consistent for retail businesses where sales patterns are influenced by weekly cycles.

Retail comparable sales are particularly useful for industries with fluctuating sales based on weekends or holidays, while calendar comparable sales offer a broader, date-specific perspective.

Walmart U.S.: Walmart U.S. stands as the company’s largest segment, operating 4,605 stores across the United States, spanning all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.

As a leading mass merchandiser of consumer products, Walmart U.S. serves customers under the “Walmart” and “Walmart Neighborhood Market” brands, as well as through its digital platform, walmart.com.

With a focus on convenience and integration, Walmart U.S. delivers a seamless omni-channel shopping experience by blending its physical retail locations with eCommerce services.

Nearly all stores offer same-day pickup and delivery options, including features like express delivery within 90 minutes, in-home delivery, and digital pharmacy services.

The Walmart+ membership program enhances this omni-channel approach, offering benefits such as unlimited free shipping with no minimum purchase, unlimited delivery from stores, fuel discounts, mobile Scan & Go capabilities, and exclusive perks for members.

Strategically, Walmart U.S. operates within three core merchandise categories: Grocery, General merchandise, and Health and wellness.

Walmart International: Walmart International ranks as the company’s second largest segment, operating 5,566 stores across 18 countries outside of the United States.

The segment functions through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Canada, Chile, China, and Africa (covering nations such as Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, and Zambia), alongside majority-owned subsidiaries in India, and in Mexico and Central America (including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua).

Walmart International spans diverse formats under two main categories: retail and wholesale. These include supercenters, supermarkets, warehouse clubs like the membership-only Sam’s Club, cash-and-carry stores, and robust eCommerce offerings via websites and mobile apps like walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, PhonePe, and others.

The division’s strategy revolves around “bringing Walmart to the world and the world to Walmart.” This means leveraging its global network and localized expertise to deliver affordable products and services, helping millions of customers and members save money and live better daily.

A seamless omni-channel shopping experience is a cornerstone of Walmart International’s approach, integrating physical retail stores with eCommerce. This includes pickup and delivery services across most markets, with same-day delivery as a prominent feature.

Marketplace expansions also play a significant role, opening doors to enhanced fulfillment and advertising services. Walmart International’s merchandising strategy mirrors the breadth and depth of Walmart U.S., ensuring customers access a wide variety of products.

Sam’s Club U.S.: Sam’s Club U.S. operates as a membership-only warehouse club with 600 locations across 44 states in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, alongside its online platform, samsclub.com.

Committed to offering a fast and seamless omni-channel experience, Sam’s Club U.S. integrates physical clubs with eCommerce solutions.

Members enjoy convenient services such as curbside pickup for contact-free shopping, the Scan & Go mobile checkout for skipping lines, and the innovative Just Go feature, introduced in fiscal 2025, which enables frictionless exits.

The club provides merchandise across four key categories: Grocery, General merchandise, Health and wellness, and Fuel.

Memberships come with added value, including a spouse/household card at no extra cost. Club members benefit from free curbside pickup for orders of $50 or more, while Plus members enjoy additional perks such as complimentary delivery-from-club, free shipping on $50+ orders, exclusive discounts, convenience features, and early access to shopping before regular hours.

Beginning in fiscal 2023, Sam’s Club U.S. launched a rewards program allowing members to earn Sam’s Cash on purchases, which can be redeemed for cash, used for future purchases, or applied toward membership fees.

Omni-Channel: Omni-channel refers to a strategy in commerce and customer engagement that provides a seamless and integrated experience across all channels, whether they are online, offline, or hybrid. It’s about making every interaction — from browsing products online to visiting a physical store—feel connected and consistent.

For example:

• In retail, omni-channel could mean a customer can browse products online, reserve an item on a mobile app, and pick it up in-store, all while receiving consistent information and support.

• In customer service, omni-channel ensures that whether a customer contacts a company via email, chat, phone, or social media, their inquiries and interactions are unified across these platforms.

The key idea is to break down silos between channels and prioritize the customer’s convenience. Businesses that adopt omni-channel approaches often see improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Walmart eCommerce: Walmart’s eCommerce encompasses its online retail operations, where customers can shop for a wide range of products through Walmart’s website and mobile app.

Walmart’s eCommerce includes services like home delivery, curbside pickup, and subscription-based offerings such as Walmart+. It focuses on providing convenience, competitive pricing, and an extensive product assortment to meet the needs of digital shoppers.

Walmart’s eCommerce strategy also integrates its physical stores, leveraging them as fulfillment centers to enhance efficiency and customer experience.

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What drives the significant growth in Walmart’s post-pandemic comparable sales?

Walmart’s significant growth in post-pandemic comparable sales is driven by several key factors:

• Omnichannel Strategy: Walmart has successfully integrated its physical stores with its eCommerce platform, leveraging its vast store network as fulfillment centers for online orders. This approach has enhanced convenience for customers through services like curbside pickup and same-day delivery.

• Focus on Essentials: As a retailer heavily focused on staples like groceries, Walmart has benefited from consistent demand for essential goods, even during economic uncertainty. This has helped it maintain steady foot traffic and sales.




• Competitive Pricing: Walmart’s commitment to offering low prices has resonated with cost-conscious consumers, especially in a post-pandemic environment where inflation and economic pressures have influenced spending habits.

• Membership Programs: Initiatives like Walmart+ have driven customer loyalty and provided additional revenue streams. These programs offer perks such as free delivery and discounts, encouraging repeat purchases.

• Technological Investments: Walmart’s adoption of AI and automation has improved operational efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced inventory management, enabling the company to meet customer demands more effectively.

These strategies collectively position Walmart as a leader in adapting to the evolving retail landscape.

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Insight & Summary of Walmart’s e-Commerce Revenue

The following analysis consolidates the trends observed across Walmart’s comparable sales by segment for the 2016–2026 period.

• Walmart U.S. comparable sales have demonstrated a steady and improving trajectory over the period, accelerating from a modest 1.0% in 2016 to a peak of 8.9% on a fuel-excluded basis in 2021 before normalizing to 4.3% in 2026. The fuel-included and fuel-excluded figures have tracked closely for Walmart U.S. throughout the period — diverging by no more than 0.3 percentage points in most years — indicating that gasoline price volatility has had a relatively limited distorting effect on the segment’s underlying comparable sales performance.

• The sustained positive momentum from 2019 onward, with comparable sales consistently at or above 4.8% on a fuel-excluded basis, reflects the compounding benefits of Walmart U.S.’s grocery strength, e-commerce integration, and price competitiveness in an inflationary environment.

• Sam’s Club U.S. presents a markedly more volatile but ultimately higher-octane comparable sales profile. The segment delivered standout results in 2022 and 2023 at 15.0% and 14.6% with fuel and 12.1% and 10.4% without — significantly outpacing Walmart U.S. in both years and reflecting the warehouse club model’s particular resonance during a period of elevated consumer price sensitivity.

• However, the fuel effect has been materially more pronounced for Sam’s Club, given the outsized contribution of gasoline to its revenue mix — the gap between fuel-included and fuel-excluded comps reached as wide as 5.5 percentage points in 2022, compared to near-zero divergence for Walmart U.S. Stripping out fuel, Sam’s Club’s underlying comparable sales momentum is consistently healthy, ranging from 1.4% at the low end in 2016 to 10.4% at peak, and settling at 4.8% in 2026 — slightly above Walmart U.S. on a fuel-excluded basis, a competitive signal that warrants attention.

• The e-commerce contribution to comparable sales has grown meaningfully for both segments over the period and represents an increasingly important component of the overall comparable sales narrative. Walmart U.S.’s e-commerce contribution to comparable sales expanded from 0.2 percentage points in 2016 to 4.3 percentage points in 2026, with the most significant step-up occurring during the 2021–2022 pandemic-driven acceleration at 5.4 percentage points.

• Sam’s Club’s e-commerce contribution has been more modest but consistently positive, rising from 0.6 to 3.3 percentage points over the same period. The fact that both segments are sustaining e-commerce contributions in the 2–4 percentage point range in the post-pandemic normalization years suggests that digital channel gains have been retained rather than given back — a structural positive that underpins the durability of the comparable sales improvement seen across both segments in the latter half of the period.

The table below combines the Walmart’s comparable sales by segment into a single view for the latest three fiscal years.

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Walmart U.S., Sam’s Club, Total U.S. – Comparable Sales with Fuel

Walmart’s operating segments consist of Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam’s Club U.S. The definitions of these segments are available here: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam’s Club U.S.

For the definition of Walmart’s comparables sales, you may refer to this section: comparable sales.

* Total U.S. averages from FY24 to FY25 as data for FY26 is not available.

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Walmart U.S., Sam’s Club, Total U.S. – Comparable Sales without Fuel

Walmart’s operating segments consist of Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam’s Club U.S. The definitions of these segments are available here: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam’s Club U.S.

For the definition of Walmart’s comparables sales, you may refer to this section: comparable sales.

* Total U.S. averages from FY24 to FY25 as data for FY26 is not available.

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Walmart U.S., Sam’s Club – e-Commerce Comparable Sales

For the definition of Walmart’s comparables sales, you may refer to this section: comparable sales.

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References and Credits

1. All financial figures presented were obtained and referenced from Walmart’s annual reports published on the company’s investor relations page: Walmart Investor Relations.

2. Pexels Images.

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Disclosure

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