Natick, MA — Sales were up 9.4 percent to $1.16 billion for BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc. in December, compared with $1.06 billion in December 2008.

The company reports sales increased during the five weeks ended January 2, 2010. Sales of food were up by approximately five percent and general merchandise sales remained flat compared with the same period in 2008/2009. Excluding sales of gasoline, traffic increased by about four percent, while the average transaction amount decreased by approximately one percent.

Cookies, crackers and salty snacks were among the merchandise categories with the strongest sales increases compared with 2008, according to BJ’s.

The wholesale club attributes a two percent decline in merchandise comparable club sales to a snowstorm affecting more than half of the chain.