PriceSmart
Announces October Sales
San Diego, CA, November 9, 2005 – PriceSmart, Inc.
(NASDAQ:PSMT) today announced that for the month of October 2005, net sales
increased 22.9% to $57.9 million from $47.1 million in October a year
earlier. For the two months ended
October 31, 2005, net sales increased 22.3% to $109.8 million from $89.8
million in the same period last year.
Net sales exclude sales from discontinued operations.
For the four weeks ended October 30, 2005, comparable
warehouse sales for warehouse clubs open at least 12 full months increased
22.4% compared to the same four-week period last year. For the eight weeks ended October 30, 2005,
comparable warehouse sales, for warehouse clubs open at least 12 full months,
increased 21.2% from the same period a year ago. Comparable warehouse sales for the comparable
eight-week period of 2004 exclude sales from discontinued operations.
Discontinued operations refer to the operations of
the Company’s PriceSmart
About PriceSmart
PriceSmart, headquartered in
This press release may contain forward-looking
statements concerning the Company's anticipated future revenues and earnings,
adequacy of future cash flow and related matters. These forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to, statements containing the words
"expect," "believe," "will," "may,"
"should," "project," "estimate,"
"scheduled," and like expressions, and the negative thereof. These
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially, including the following risks: the Company had a
substantial net loss in fiscal 2004, a net loss in the first nine months of
2005, and may continue to incur losses in future periods; if the Company fails
to comply with covenants governing its indebtedness, the lenders may elect to
accelerate the Company’s indebtedness and foreclose on the collateral pledged
to secure the indebtedness; the Company’s financial performance is dependent on
international operations which exposes the Company to various risks; any
failure by the Company to manage its widely dispersed operations could adversely
affect the Company’s business; although the Company has taken and continues to
take steps to improve significantly its internal controls, there may be
material weaknesses or significant deficiencies that the Company has not yet
identified; the Company faces significant competition; the Company faces
difficulties in the shipment of and inherent risks in the importation of
merchandise to its warehouse clubs; the success of the Company’s business
requires effective assistance from local business people; the Company is
exposed to weather and other risks associated with international operations;
declines in the economies of the countries in which the Company operates its
warehouse clubs would harm its business; a few of the Company’s stockholders
have control over the Company's voting stock, which will make it difficult to
complete some corporate transactions without their support and may prevent a
change in control; the loss of key personnel could harm the Company’s business;
the Company is subject to volatility in foreign currency exchange; the Company
faces the risk of exposure to product liability claims, a product recall and
adverse publicity; a determination that the Company's long-lived or intangible
assets have been impaired could adversely affect the Company's future results
of operations and financial position; and the Company faces increased costs and
compliance risks associated with compliance with Section 404 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; as well as the other risks detailed in the
Company's SEC reports, including the Company's Form 10-Q filed pursuant to the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on July 15, 2005. We assume no obligation and
expressly disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking statement to reflect
events or circumstances after the date of this presentation or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events.
Certain prior period amounts may have been reclassified to confirm to
the current period presentation.
For further information, please contact Robert E.
Price, Interim Chief Executive Officer (858) 551-2336; or John M. Heffner,
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (858) 404-8826.