Like-for-like (LFL) sales compare the sales of stores that were trading in both the current period and the comparison period, usually the same period last year. They are also called comparable or same-store sales.
Stores that opened or closed during the periods, or that were refurbished or relocated, are normally excluded so the comparison reflects underlying performance. Definitions vary between companies, such as how long a store must be open before it counts, so the method should always be stated. Retail and hospitality groups usually also report it as a percentage change, which makes stores of different sizes easier to compare.
Retailers and hospitality groups use it to separate organic growth from growth caused by new sites. Adding visitor counts shows why sales moved: a rise driven by more footfall points to marketing or location, while a rise with flat traffic points to conversion or basket size.
Pitfalls include changes in trading days, public holidays, price rises and shopping-centre disruption, which can all distort comparisons. Inflation can make LFL growth look healthy when volumes are falling. Look at transactions and visitors alongside revenue.
LFL is a standard way to judge the health of an existing store network, and it is widely quoted in retail reporting.