Hello, thank you for calling Costco Wholesale Corporation. I'm David Sherwood, a VP of Finance and Investor Relations, and I will review our sales results for the 4-week retail month of May, which started on Monday, May 7th, and ended on Sunday, June 3rd. This period is compared to the 4 weeks beginning on Monday, May 8th, and ending on Sunday, June 4th, 2017. Costco 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 4-week month of May came in at $11.02 billion, an increase of 14.1% from $9.66 billion last year. For the first 39 weeks of fiscal 2018, net sales were $103.26 billion, an increase of 12.1% from the $92.11 billion last year. Comparable sales were as follows. On a reported basis, the 4-week retail month in the U.S. was an 11.7% to 39-week fiscal year, 9.0%.
In Canada, the 4-week retail month was at 13.0% and the 39-week fiscal year is at 10.7%. Other international, the 4-week retail month was 9.4% and the 39-week fiscal year, 12.6%. Total company, 4-week retail month, 11.7% and the 39-week fiscal year, 9.7%. E-commerce, the 4-week retail month, 34.4% and the 39-week fiscal year, 35.9%. Comparable sales, excluding the impact from changes in Gasoline prices and foreign exchange, were as follows. In the 4-week retail month in the U.S. was an 8.7%, 39-week fiscal year, 7.2%. In Canada, the 4-week retail month was at 5.4% and the 39-week fiscal year, 4.1%.
Other international, 4-week retail month was at 7.4% and the 39-week fiscal year, 7.5%. Total company, the 4-week retail month was at 8.0%, and the 39-week fiscal year was at 6.7%. E-commerce for the 4-week retail month, ex gas and FX, or just in this case, FX, 33.3% and 39-week fiscal year of 34.6%. In terms of regional and merchandising categories, the general highlights for the month of May were as follows. The U.S. regions with the strongest results were the Midwest, Texas, and Southeast. Internationally, in local currencies, we saw the strongest results in Mexico, Japan, and Taiwan. Foreign currencies year-over-year relative to the U.S. dollar impacted many comp sales as follows. Total companies benefited approximately +100 basis points.
Canada was helped approximately +550 basis points, while other international was helped by approximately +150 basis points. The negative impact of cannibalization on total company sales in May was slightly over 50 basis points. The impact in the U.S. was slightly less than 50 basis points. Canada was impacted slightly more than 150 basis points, and our other international, slightly less than 100 basis points. Moving to merchandise highlights, the following comparable sales results by category for May excludes the impact of foreign exchange. Food and sundries were positive mid to high single digits. Departments with the strongest results were tobacco, sundries, and cooler. Hard lines were up low to mid-teens year-over-year. Better performing departments were majors, garden, office, and sporting goods. Sales in majors were up 20-plus %, led by tablets, appliances, and computers. Soft lines were up mid-single digits.
Better performing departments included apparel, domestics, and small appliances. Fresh foods were up low to mid-single digits. Better performing departments were bakery and service deli. Within the ancillary businesses, Gasoline, hearing aids, and Optical had the best comp sales increases in May. Gasoline price inflation added approximately 260 basis points to total reported comp sales. The average sale price was up +25% at $3.06 this year compared to $2.45 last year. Our comp traffic or frequency for May was up 5.9% worldwide and 6.1% in the U.S. The average transaction was up 5.4% for the month, which includes the combined impacts from foreign exchange and Gasoline price inflation.
The June reporting period will include the 5 weeks beginning June fourth and ending Sunday, July eighth, 2018, compared to the 5 weeks beginning June fifth, ending Sunday, July ninth, 2017. Starting with our July sales on Wednesday, July 11th, we plan on moving our release time to 1:15 P.M. Pacific Time. Costco currently operates 750 warehouses, including 520 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, 98 in Canada, 38 in Mexico, 28 in the U.K., 26 in Japan, 14 in Korea, 13 in Taiwan, nine in Australia, two in Spain, one in Iceland, and one in France. Costco also operates electronic commerce websites in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Mexico, Korea, and Taiwan.
If you have any questions regarding our May 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, June 13th. Thanks for calling Costco and have a great day.