The Japan Department Stores Association reported that same-store sales at member stores throughout the country (80 firms, 229 stores) in April 2017 rose by 0.7% over the same month of last year to 452,760 million yen. It was the first sales increase in fourteen months.
The favorable effects from the weak Japanese currency and high stock prices increased purchases of luxury goods, and vigorous shopper attracting efforts and sales promotion measures were successful.
April sales of apparel decreased for the fourteenth consecutive month, down 1.2% to 151,042 million yen: men’s wear, 32,068 million yen (down 0.7%); women’s wear, 94,285 million yen (down 1.7%); and children’s wear, 14,856 million yen (up 1.6%).
Compared to March apparel sales, the decrease in April was 3.4 percentage points smaller, as spring items began to sell.