The Japan Department Stores Association reported that same-store sales at member stores throughout the nation (81 firms, 236 stores) decreased by 5.0% in September 2016 compared to the same month of last year to 423,360 million yen., thus decreasing for the seventh consecutive month.
While consumers have become more budget minded, unseasonable weather and the fact that holidays in September numbered one day less than the previous year had an impact on sales.
The higher temperatures resulted in an 8.9% decrease in apparel sales to 13,719 million yen, thus decreasing for eleven straight months. Apparel sales decreased cross the board: men’s wear, 24,590 million yen (down 10.7%); women’s wear, 89,848 million yen (down 8.9%); and children’s wear, 9,140 million yen (down 8.9%).
Inbound tourism-related sales, which accounted of 2.9% of total sales, decreased by 10.1% (down for six consecutive months); although the number of customers increased by 15.9%, the purchasing amount per customer decreased.