Hello, thank you for calling Costco Wholesale Corporation. I'm David Sherwood, AVP of Finance and Investor Relations, and I will review with you our sales results for the four-week retail month of August, which started on Monday, August 6th, and ended on Sunday, September 2nd. This period is compared to the four weeks beginning on Monday, August 7th, and ending on Sunday, September 3rd, 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, and the company does not undertake to update these statements except as required by law. Now with regards to sales. As reported in our release, net sales for the four-week month of August came in at $11.0 billion, an increase of 12.2% from $9.8 billion last year. For the 16-week fourth quarter, net sales were $43.4 billion, an increase of 5.0% compared to the net sales of $41.4 billion in the 17-week fourth quarter of fiscal year 2017. For the 52-week fiscal year, net sales were $138.4 billion, an increase of 9.7% compared to net sales of $126.2 billion reported in the 53-week fiscal year 2017. Comparable sales were as follows.
On a reported basis, the U.S. for four weeks was at 11.3%, the 16 weeks, 10.8%, 52 weeks, 9.4%. In Canada, the four weeks was at 2.7%, the 16 weeks, 5.7%, 52 weeks, 8.9%. Other international, four weeks, 5.3%, 16 weeks, 6.7%, and the 52 weeks, 10.8%. Total company, the four weeks is at 9.2%, 16 weeks, 9.5%, and the 52 weeks, 9.5%. E-commerce, four weeks, 23.8%, 16 weeks, 26.2%, and 52 weeks, 32.2%. Comparable retail sales, excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange, were as follows. In the U.S., the four weeks was at 8.9%, 16 weeks, 7.8%, and 52 weeks, 7.4%. For Canada, the four weeks was 4.8%, 16 weeks, 4.6%, and the 52 weeks, 4.1%. Other international, four weeks, 6.8%, 16 weeks, 6.9%, and 52 weeks, 7.1%. Total company, four weeks, 8.0%, 16 weeks, 7.2%, 52 weeks, 6.8%.
For E-commerce, four weeks, 24.5%, 16 weeks, 26.3%, and the 52 weeks was 31.3%. In terms of regional and merchandising categories, the general highlights for the month of August were as follows. U.S. regions with the strongest results were the Midwest, San Diego, and Bay Area. Internationally, in local currencies, we saw the strongest results in Spain, Mexico, Japan, and Taiwan. Foreign currencies year-over-year relative to the U.S. dollar impacted August comp sales as follows. The total company was hurt by a little less than 100 basis points. Canada was hurt by a little less than 400 basis points, while other international was hurt by a little less than 250 basis points. The negative impact of cannibalization was approximately 50 basis points on each of the U.S., Canada, other international, and total company segments.
Moving to the merchandise highlights, the following comparable sales results by category for August exclude the impact of foreign exchange. Food and sundries were positive mid to high single digits. Departments with the strongest results were tobacco, sundries, and frozen foods. Hard lines were positive low double digits. Better-performing departments were toys and seasonal, hardware, health and beauty, and office. Soft lines were up high single digits. Better-performing departments included housewares, home furnishings, small appliances, and special order kiosks. Fresh foods were up mid-single digits. The better-performing departments were meat and bakery. The comp growth in fresh is primarily a function of volume as pricing was essentially flat year-over-year. Within the ancillary businesses, gasoline, hearing aids, and pharmacy had the best comp sales increases in August. Gasoline price inflation added a little more than 200 basis points to total reported comp sales.
The average selling price was up 20% at $2.96 this year compared to $2.47 last year. Our comp traffic or frequency for August was up 5.3% worldwide and 5.5% in the U.S. The average transaction was up 3.8% for the month, which includes the negative impact from foreign exchange and positive impact from gasoline price inflation. Looking ahead, the September reporting period will include the five weeks beginning September 3rd and ending Sunday, October 7th, compared to the five weeks beginning September 4th and ending Sunday, October 8th, 2017. Sales will be announced Wednesday, October 10th after market close at 1:15 P.M. Pacific Time. On September 2nd, we completed our 16-week fourth quarter and 52-week fiscal year 2018. A conference call to discuss our Q4 and year-to-date results will take place October 4th at 2:00 P.M. Pacific Time and will be streamed live via our IR website.
Costco currently operates 762 warehouses, including 527 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 United States, Canada, U.K., Mexico, Korea, and Taiwan. If you have any questions regarding our August 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, September 12th. Thanks for calling. Have a great day.