Thank you for calling Costco Wholesale Corporation. I'm David Sherwood, a VP of Finance and Investor Relations, and I will review with you our sales results for the five-week retail month of March, which started on Monday, March 5th, and ended on Sunday, April 8th. This period is compared to the five weeks beginning on Monday, March 6th, ending on Sunday, April 9th, 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. These 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. As regards to sales, as reported in our release, net sales for the five-week month of March came in at $12.92 billion, an increase of 10.9% from the $11.65 billion last year. For the first 31 weeks of fiscal year 2018, the company reported net sales of $81.43 billion, an increase of 11.8% from $72.82 billion over the first 31 weeks of fiscal year 2017. This year's five-week March retail month had one fewer shopping day versus last year due to the calendar shift of Easter. This negatively impacted total and comparable March sales by approximately 1% to 1.5%. Comparable sales were as follows. In the U.S., the five-week retail month was an 8.3%, 31-week fiscal year, 8.5%.
In Canada, the five-week retail month was 7.1%, the 31-week fiscal year, 9.8%. Other international, five-week retail month of 12.3%, 31-week fiscal year, 12.9%. Total company, five-week retail month, 8.6%, 31-week fiscal year, 9.3%. E-commerce, five-week retail month, 33.2%, 31-week fiscal year, 33.7%. Comparable sales excluding the impacts from changes in Gasoline prices and foreign exchange were as follows. In the U.S., the five-week retail month was at 6.7%, the 31-week fiscal year, 7.0%. In Canada, the five-week retail month was at 2.0%, 31-week fiscal year, 3.5%. Other international, five-week retail month at 5.4%, 31-week fiscal year of 7.3%. Total company, five-week retail month is 5.8%, and the 31-week fiscal year, 6.5%. Lastly, E-commerce for the five-week retail month was 32.1%, and the 31-week fiscal year, 32.4%. In terms of regional and merchandising categories, the general highlights for the month of March were as follows.
The U.S. regions with the strongest results were the Southeast, Midwest, and Northwest. Internationally, in local currencies, we saw the strongest results in Mexico, Japan, and the U.K. Foreign currencies year-over-year relative to the U.S. dollar impacted our reported March comp sales as follows. The total company benefited approximately plus 150 basis points. Canada was helped approximately plus 375 basis points, while other international was helped by approximately plus 675 basis points. The impact of cannibalization on total company sales in March was approximately minus 50 basis points. The impact in the U.S. was approximately minus 50 basis points. Canada was impacted approximately minus 125 basis points, our other international segment was negatively impacted by approximately minus 25 basis points. Moving to our merchandise highlights, the following comparable sales results by category for March exclude the impact of foreign exchange. Food and sundries were positive mid-single digits.
Departments with the strongest results were tobacco, liquor, and deli. Hard lines were up high single digits year over year. Better-performing departments were majors, hardware, and seasonal. Sales in majors were up 30%+, led by appliances and tablets. Soft lines were up mid-single digits. Better-performing departments include jewelry, housewares, and small appliances. Fresh foods were up mid-single digits. The better-performing departments were bakery and service deli. Within the ancillary businesses, Gasoline, Optical, and Pharmacy had the best comp sales increases in March. Gasoline price inflation had approximately +150 basis points positive impact on total reported comp sales. The average selling price was up +14% at $2.74 this year compared to $2.40 a gallon last year. Our comp traffic or frequency for March was up +4.3% worldwide and +4.5% in the U.S. These results include the negative impact from the holiday shift, as discussed earlier.
The average transaction was up 4.2% for the month, which includes the combined impacts of foreign exchange and Gasoline price inflation as provided earlier. The April reporting period will include the four weeks beginning April 9th and ended Sunday, May 6th, 2018, compared to the four weeks beginning April 10th and ending on Sunday, May 7th, 2017. This year's April reporting period will include one additional shopping day versus last year, so 28 versus 27, due to the calendar shift of Easter. It's estimated this will positively impact the month approximately 1.5%-2%. We plan to announce our April sales results Wednesday, May 9th, 2018, at six P.M. Pacific Time.
Costco currently operates 749 warehouses, including 519 in the United States 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 E-commerce websites in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Mexico, Korea, and Taiwan. If you have any questions regarding our March 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 five P.M. Pacific Time, Wednesday, April 18th. Thanks for calling Costco and have a great day.