Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, said on Saturday it still anticipates a 2 percent to 4 percent increase in October sales at its stores open at least a year.

On a recording detailing its sales outlook for the four weeks ending Oct. 29, Wal-Mart said October sales will probably be up from September. The absence of Halloween from the October period this year will negatively affect sales by less than 1 percent, the retailer said.

The Bentonville-Arkansas-based company said it expects its strongest U.S. categories in October to be bedding , boys’ wear, food, health and beauty, pet supplies and office supplies.

The North and the Southeast were the strongest regions in the past week, when both store traffic and the average ticket were positive, Wal-Mart said. Traffic accounted for two-thirds of the sales increase.

Wal-Mart’s October sales period runs from Oct. 2 through Oct. 29. The company will release its sales for the period on Nov. 4.