SAN DIEGO, May 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSMT) today announced that for the month of April 2018 net sales increased 1.6% to $240.3 million from $236.6 million in April a year earlier. For the eight months ended April 30, 2018, net sales increased 5.0% to $2,063.6 million from $1,964.8 million for the eight months ended April 30, 2017. There were 40 warehouse clubs in operation at the end of April 2018 and 39 warehouse clubs in operation at the end of April 2017.

For the four-week period ended April 29, 2018 comparable sales for the 39 warehouse clubs open at least 13 1/2 full months increased 1.9%, compared to the four-week period last year. For the thirty-four week period ended April 29, 2018 comparable warehouse sales increased 2.7%, compared to the comparable thirty-four week period a year ago.

For the 8-week period ending April 29, 2018 comparable warehouse club sales for the 39 warehouse clubs open at least 13 1/2 months increased 2.7%.  This 8-week view normalizes the effect of Easter which occurred in March this year and April last year.

PriceSmart, Inc. also announced that on May 3, 2018, the Company successfully opened a new warehouse club in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, bringing to 41 the total number of warehouse clubs in operation by the Company. This warehouse club is the Company's fourth warehouse club in the Dominican Republic.

About PriceSmart

PriceSmart, headquartered in San Diego, owns and operates U.S.-style membership shopping warehouse clubs in Latin America and the Caribbean, selling high quality merchandise at low prices to PriceSmart members. PriceSmart now operates 41 warehouse clubs in 12 countries and one U.S. territory (seven each in Colombia and Costa Rica; five in Panama; four each in Trinidad and Dominican Republic; three each in Guatemala and Honduras; two each in El Salvador and Nicaragua; and one each in Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica and the United States Virgin Islands). Additionally, PriceSmart through its Aeropost subsidiary provides logistics, payment and ecommerce services in Latin America and the Caribbean. Aeropost serves customers in 38 countries with Costa Rica, Trinidad and Jamaica as its largest markets.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements concerning the Company's anticipated future revenues and earnings, adequacy of future cash flow, proposed warehouse club openings, the Company's performance relative to competitors, the outcome of tax proceedings and related matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements containing the words "expect," "believe," "will," "may," "should," "project," "estimate," "anticipated," "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, but not limited to, the following external and internal risks:

External Risks

• Natural disasters that might cause damages not covered by insurance;
• Negative macroeconomic conditions;
• Volatility in foreign currency exchange rates and limitations on our ability to convert foreign currency to US dollars;
• Changes in, and inconsistent enforcement of laws and regulations in countries where we operate, including those related to tariffs and taxes;
• Compliance risks;
• Crime and security concerns, which can adversely affect the economies of the countries in which we operate and which require us to incur additional costs to provide additional security at our warehouse clubs;
• Recoverability of moneys owed to PriceSmart from governments in countries where we do business; and
• The possibility of operational interruptions related to union work stoppages;

Internal Risks:

• We might not identify or effectively respond to changes in consumer shopping preferences with resulting negative effects on our sales and market share;
• Significant competition, including from international online retailers;
• Limitations on the availability of appropriate sites for new warehouse clubs could adversely affect growth;
• We may experience increased costs, delays or failure in our efforts to integrate our online commerce with our traditional brick and mortar business;
• Cost increases from product and service providers;
• Interruption of supply chains, which might adversely impact on our ability to import merchandise;
• Failure to maintain our brand's reputation;
• Exposure to product liability claims and product recalls;
• Failure to maintain our computer systems and/or disruption in those systems;
• Delays or cost overruns implementing our new Enterprise Resource Planning system;
• Any failure to maintain the security of the information we hold relating to our company, our members, employees and suppliers;
• Failure to attract and retain qualified employees, significant increases in wage and benefit expenses, or changes in labor laws with consequent material adverse effect on our financial performance;
• Changes in accounting standards affecting management's financial assumptions, projections, estimates and judgments; and
• a few of our stockholders own approximately 25.3% of our voting stock as of February 28, 2018, which may make it difficult to complete some corporate transactions without their support and may impede a change in control

The risks described above as well as the other risks detailed in the Company's U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") reports, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 filed on October 26, 2017, pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, see "Part I - Item 1A - Risk Factors," could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. These risks are not the only risks that the Company faces. The Company could also be affected by additional factors that apply to all companies operating globally and in the U.S., as well as other risks that are not presently known to the Company or that the Company currently considers to be immaterial.

For further information, please contact Maarten O. Jager, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer (858) 404-8826.

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SOURCE PriceSmart, Inc.