Hello, and thank you for calling Costco Wholesale Corporation. I'm David Sherwood, VP of Finance and Investor Relations, and I will review our sales results for the five-week retail month of September, which started on Monday, August 31st and ended on Sunday, October 4th. This period is compared to the five weeks that began on Monday, September 2nd and ended on Sunday, October 6th, 2019. This call will include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results, and/or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those outlined in today's call and sales release, as well as other risks identified from time to time in the company's public statements and reports filed with the SEC.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they're made, and the company does not undertake to update them except as required by law. As reported in our release, net sales for the five-week month of September came in at $16.84 billion, an increase of 16.9% from $14.41 billion last year. Comparable sales were as follows. On a reported basis in the U.S., the five weeks was a 14.5%, in Canada for the five weeks, 17.5%, other international for the five weeks was 18.5%, and total company for the five weeks was 15.5%. E-commerce for the five weeks was a 90.3%. Comparable sales, excluding the impacts from change in gasoline prices and foreign exchange, were as follows. In the U.S., the five weeks was a 16.7%, Canada, five weeks, 18.0%, other international, the five weeks was a 17.5%, and total company, the five weeks was a 16.9%.
E-commerce for the five weeks was a 90.1%. September sales were positively impacted by a couple of holiday calendar shifts, Labor Day in the U.S. and Chuseok and Moon Festival in Asia. The estimated positive impact on September sales and traffic was slightly less than 100 basis points worldwide, half relating to each holiday. The positive impact in the U.S. was slightly more than 50 basis points, and the positive impact to other international was approximately 300 basis points. Including the positive impact from the holiday shift, our comp traffic or frequency for September was up 2.6% worldwide and 6.1% in the U.S. Worldwide, average transaction was up 12.6%, which includes the impacts from foreign exchange and gasoline deflation. In terms of regional and merchandising categories, the general highlights were as follows. U.S. regions with the strongest results were the Southeast, Northeast, and Texas.
Other international in local currencies, we saw the strongest results in Korea, U.K., and Mexico. Foreign currencies year-over-year relative to the U.S. dollar impacted September comp sales as follows. Canada, positively by approximately 25 basis points, other international, positively by approximately 165 basis points, total company, positively by approximately 25 basis points. Moving to the merchandise highlights, the following comparable sales results by categories for the month exclude the impact of foreign exchange. Food and sundries were positive low 20s. Departments with the strongest results were liquor, frozen foods, and foods. Fresh foods were up mid-20s. Better performing departments included meat and produce. Hardlines were positive mid-20s. Better performing departments included sporting goods, garden, hardware, and major appliances, which include consumer electronics. Softlines were positive high teens. Small appliances, home furnishings, and housewares were strong in the month. Ancillary businesses were down low double digits.
This was primarily as a result of lower gasoline, Food Court, and photo sales. Optical was flat and hearing aids were lower single digits year-over-year. Gasoline price deflation negatively impacted total reported comp sales by approximately 170 basis points. The average selling price was 16% lower year-over-year at $2.39 per gallon this year compared to $2.85 last year. Looking ahead, the October reporting period will include the four weeks beginning October 5th and ending November 1st, compared to the four weeks beginning October 7th and ending November 3rd, 2019. We'll see the negative impact from the shift of Chuseok and Moon Festival in October and anticipate a greater impact than in September, given that October is a four-week reporting period. October sales will be announced Wednesday, November 4th at 1:15 PM Pacific Time.
If you have any questions regarding our September sales results or any other investor relations questions, please call Bob Nelson at 425-313-8255, Josh Dahmen at 425-313-8254, or myself, David Sherwood at 425-313-8239. This recording will be available until 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time, Wednesday, October 14th. Thanks for calling. Have a great day.