Hello. Thank you for calling Costco Wholesale Corporation. I'm David Sherwood, AVP of Finance and Investor Relations. I will review our sales results for the four-week retail month of October, which started on Monday, October 8th, and ended on Sunday, November 4th. This period is compared to the four weeks beginning on Monday, October 9th, and ending on Sunday, November 5th, 2017. 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 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 are made. The company does not undertake to update these statements except as required by law. Now with regard to the sales. As reported in our release, net sales for the four-week month of October came in at $11.16 billion, an increase of 10.6% from $10.09 billion last year. As discussed last month, the company adopted revenue recognition standard ASC 606 for fiscal year 2019. For the full fiscal year 2019, we estimate the new standard will benefit net and comparable sales by approximately 1%. The benefit in October was approximately 65 basis points. Comparable sales were as follows. On a reported basis, the U.S. four weeks was at 10.4%, the nine weeks, 10.4%. In Canada, the four weeks, 2.4%, nine weeks, 2.7%. Other international, four weeks, 5.5%, nine weeks, 4.8%.
Total company, the four weeks were 8.6%, the nine weeks was an 8.5%. For e-commerce, the four weeks was at 20.0%, nine weeks, 24.8%. Comparable sales excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices, foreign exchange, and revenue recognition ASC 606 were as follows. In the U.S., the four weeks was at 7.1%, nine weeks, 7.4%. Canada, the four weeks was at 4.2%, nine weeks, 5.5%. Other international, the four weeks was at 6.6%, and the nine weeks, 6.4%. Total company, four weeks, 6.6%, nine weeks, 7.0%. e-commerce, four weeks, 20.0%, and the nine weeks, 23.1%. In terms of regional and merchandising categories, the general highlights for the month of October were as follows. The U.S. regions with the strongest results were the Midwest, San Diego, Northeast, and L.A. Internationally, in local currencies, we saw the strongest results in Spain, Mexico, Japan, and Australia.
Foreign currencies year-over-year relative to the U.S. dollar impacted October comp sales as follows. Canada was hurt by a little more than 325 basis points. Other international was hurt by a little less than 200 basis points. Total company was hurt by approximately 75 basis points. Revenue recognition benefited sales by approximately 80 basis points in the United States and approximately 65 basis points for the total company. The negative impact of cannibalization was approximately 50 basis points in the U.S., a little less than 75 basis points in Canada, a little less than 100 basis points in other international. Approximately 65 basis points for the total company. Moving to merchandise highlights, the following comparable sales results by category for October exclude the impact of foreign exchange. Food and sundries were positive mid-single digits. Departments with the strongest results were tobacco, candy, and sundries.
Hard lines were positive high single digits. Better performing departments were tires, automotive, and majors. Soft lines were up high single digits. Better performing departments included apparel, small appliances, and special order kiosks. Fresh foods were up mid-single digits. All departments performed similarly. Within the ancillary businesses, gasoline, hearing aids, and optical had the best comp sales increases in October. Gasoline price inflation added a little more than 200 basis points to total reported comp sales. The average selling price was up 19% at $3.08 this year compared to $2.58 last year. Our comp traffic or frequency for October was up 4.6% worldwide and 4.8% in the U.S. The average transaction was up 3.8% for the month, which includes the negative impact from foreign exchange and positive impacts from both gasoline price inflation and revenue recognition.
Looking ahead, the November reporting period will include the four weeks beginning November 5th and ending December 2nd, compared to the four weeks beginning November 6th and ending December 3rd, 2017. Sales will be announced Wednesday, December 5th after market close at 1:15 P.M. Pacific Time. Costco currently operates 766 warehouses, including 531 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 100 in Canada, 39 in Mexico, 28 in the United Kingdom, 26 in Japan, 15 in Korea, 13 in Taiwan, 10 in Australia, two in Spain, one in Iceland, and one in France.
Costco also operates e-commerce websites in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Mexico, Korea, and Taiwan. If you have any questions regarding our October sales results or any other investor relations questions, please do not hesitate to 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, November 14th. Thanks for calling Costco and have a great day.