USA: 7-Eleven posts higher October sales

US convenience store chain 7-Eleven has reported total sales for October of US$964.9m, an increase of 10.1% over the October 2002 total of $876.5m. Total merchandise sales, which exclude fuel sales, for October were $673.1m, an increase of 9.6% over the year-ago total of $614.1m. US same-store merchandise sales for October 2003 increased 8.1%, on top of a 3.9% increase in October 2002. The company said its US same-store sales for October were positively impacted by the grocery worker strikes in Southern California, where the company has a heavy concentration of stores.