Overall comps declined 8.3% for the quarter, with weakness nowspreading to formerly healthy US markets, reported Frank Blake,chairman & CEO. Canada and China, too, saw decreases, thelatter due in part to the Olympic Games. Mexico remains healthy, hesaid.

The company continues to assess its new stores, but there wereno announcements of openings or closures. "We look every quarter atour stores and try to make sure we're doing the right thing withthe stoppers we have open," Blake said. "With our 'orange boxstores' we don't see a dramatic change from what we saw in thefirst quarter on the value of those stores."

Sales for the third quarter totaled $17.8 billion, a 6.2%decrease from the same quarter last year. Comps declined 7.1% oncea calendar shift was excluded. Net earnings were $756 million,compared with $1.1 billion in the same quarter last year.