Q: WHAT ARE "same-store sales" numbers?
- G.R., Flagstaff, Ariz.
A: They reflect sales at stores open a year or more. Imagine that Wanton Punctuation (ticker: ?#$@!) reports sales of $300 million in 2011 and $600 million in 2012. That looks great - 100 percent growth!
But now assume that Wanton had 10 stores open in 2011 and 20 open in 2012. If its same-store sales for 2012 came in at $300 million, then sales at its stores open for at least a year have not come close to doubling.
