BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. yesterday posted August 2008 sales of $774.4 million, a 17.0 percent increase from the $661.8 million reported in August 2007. Comparable-club sales for August 2008 increased 15.4 percent, including a contribution from sales of gasoline of 7.7 percent.

The company additionally revealed that during August 2008 sales went up in all four weeks, with the highest increases in the second and fourth weeks; excluding gas sales, traffic increased by about 5 percent vs. last year, and the average transaction amount increased by about 2 percent; food sales grew by about 11 percent, driven by strong sales of perishable foods; and general merchandise sales rose by about 2 percent, spurred mainly by strong sales of consumer packaged goods.

Departments with the largest sales increases vs. last year included bakery, breakfast needs, candy, coffee, computers, dairy, frozen, HBC, household chemicals, meat, oils and shortenings, pet food, paper, produce, and snacks. Among the weaker departments compared with last year were air conditioners, cigarettes, jewelry, storage, summer seasonal, televisions, and pre-recorded video.

BJ's operates 178 clubs in 16 states.