The Japan Department Stores Association reported that January 2018 same-store sales of apparel throughout the nation (80 firms, 226 stores) decreased by 4.0% compared to the same month of last year to 184,956 million yen, thus decreasing for the second consecutive month.
Sales during the first half of the month were favorable thanks to New Year sales and the sales of winter items, but the snow and cold wave that hit Japan in the second half kept shoppers home.
Sales of men’s wear decreased by 2.3% to 41,586 million yen, along with those of women’s wear by 4.3% to 119,358 million yen, and children’s wear by 6.3% to 12,553 million yen.
According to the Japan Chain Stores Association (56 firms, 9,954 stores), same-store apparel sales in January 2018 decreased by 0.2% from the year before to 94,373 million yen: men’s wear, 20,452 million yen (down 0.2%); women’s wear, 26,642 million yen (down 3.3%); and other garments, 47,279 million yen (up 1.7%).