Hello, and 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 five-week retail month of January, which started on Monday, January 1st, and ended on Sunday, February 4th. This period is compared to the five weeks beginning on Monday, January 2nd, 2017, and ended on Sunday, February 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, 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 month of January came in at $12.24 billion, an increase of 8.4% from the $11.29 billion last year. For the first 22 weeks of fiscal year 2018, the company reported net sales of $58.30 billion, an increase of 11.6% from the $52.26 billion over the first 22 weeks of fiscal year 2017. This year's five-week January retail month had one fewer shopping day versus last year due to the calendar shift of New Year's Day. This negatively impacted total and comparable January sales by approximately -3%. The 22-week fiscal year to date was not impacted.
Additionally, Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year will occur in February this year as compared to January last year, negatively impacting January sales by approximately -3.5% for other international and -0.5% for total company. Comparable sales for the 10 weeks of December and January combined will be provided in a moment, eliminating the impact of the New Year's shift. Keep in mind the 10-week December, January reporting period sales were also negatively impacted by Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year, by approximately -1.75% for other international and -0.25% for total company. Comparable sales were as follows. For the five-week retail month in the U.S., it was a 4.9%. For the 10-week December, January retail month, 7.9%, and the 22-week fiscal year, 8.2%. In Canada, five-week retail month, 8.3%. Ten-week December, January, 10.2%, and the 22-week fiscal year, 10.0%. Other international, five-week retail month, 9.8%.
Ten-week December, January, 13.6%, and 22-week fiscal year, 11.2%. Total company five-week retail month is 6.0%. Ten-week December, January, 8.9%, and 22-week fiscal year, 8.8%. e-commerce five-week retail month, 34.8%. Ten-week December, January combined, 33.9%, and 22-week fiscal year is 31.2%. 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 3.6%. Ten-week December, January, 6.6%. 22-week fiscal year, 6.7%. In Canada, the five-week retail month is 1.3%. The 10-week December, January is 3.9%, and the 22-week fiscal year, 3.3%. Other international, five-week retail month of 0.6%. Ten-week December, January is 5.4%, and the 22-week fiscal year, 6.3%. Total company, five-week retail month is 2.9%. 10 weeks of December, January combined, 6.0%, and 22-week fiscal year, 6.1%. Lastly, e-commerce. five-week retail month, 32.9%. December, January combined, 32.5%, and this 22-week fiscal year, 29.8%.
In terms of regional and merchandising categories, the general highlights for the month of January were as follows. The U.S. regions with the strongest results were in the Northwest, Midwest, and Southeast. Internationally, in local currencies, we saw the strongest results in Japan, Mexico, and the U.K. Foreign currencies year-over-year relative to the U.S. dollar impacted our reported January comp sales as follows. Total company benefited approximately +200 basis points. Canada was helped approximately +625 basis points, while other international was helped by approximately +900 basis points. The impact of cannibalization on total company sales in January was approximately -50 basis points. The impact in the U.S. was approximately -50 basis points. Canada was impacted approximately -150 basis points. Our other international segment was negatively impacted by approximately -50 basis points.
Moving to our merchandise highlights, the following comparable sales results by category for January exclude the impact of foreign exchange. food and sundries comparable sales for the month were positive low single digits. Departments with the strongest results were tobacco, sundries, and cooler. Comp sales results for hardlines were up mid-single digits year-over-year. Better performing departments were seasonal, sporting goods, and majors. Majors were up low teens, led by appliances and computers. Softlines were up low single digits. Better performing departments included jewelry, apparel, and home furnishings. Fresh foods were up low single digits. The better performing departments were bakery and produce. Within the ancillary businesses, gasoline, hearing aids, and pharmacy had the best comp sales increases in January. Gasoline prices were higher year-over-year and had approximately +110 basis point positive impact on total reported comp sales.
The average selling price was up 11% at $2.63 this year compared to $2.37 last year. Our comp traffic or frequency for January was up 1.1% worldwide and 1.3% in the U.S. These results include the detriment from the holiday shifts, as discussed earlier. For December and January combined, comp traffic was up 4% for both the U.S. and worldwide. Although those were still marginally impacted by the Lunar Chinese New Year shift. The average transaction was up +4.8% for the month, which includes the combined impacts from foreign exchange and Gasoline price inflation, as provided earlier. The February reporting period will include the four weeks beginning on February 5th, 2018, and ended on Sunday, March 4th, 2018, compared to the four weeks beginning on February 6th, 2017, ending on Sunday, March 5th, 2017.
We plan to announce our February sales results in conjunction with our Q2 FY 2018 earnings after market close on Wednesday, March 7th, 2018, at 1:15 P.M. Pacific Time. A call to discuss the results will be held shortly after at 2:00 P.M. Pacific Time and can be streamed live via our investor relations website. Costco currently operates 746 warehouses worldwide, including 518 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 98 in Canada, 37 in Mexico, 28 in the United Kingdom, 26 in Japan, 13 in Korea, 13 in Taiwan, nine in Australia, two in Spain, one in Iceland, and one in France. Costco also operates electronics e-commerce websites in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Mexico, Korea, and Taiwan.
If you have any questions regarding our January 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, February 14th. Thanks for calling, and have a great day.