February sales of apparel at department and chain stores throughout Japan decreased compared to the same month of last year.
According to the Japan Department Stores Association, same store apparel sales at member stores across the nation (80 firms, 225 stores) decreased by 3.5% to 118,966 million yen, thus decreasing for the third consecutive month. The cold wave had a favorable effect on sales of winter clothes, but sales of spring wear were slow.
Sales of men’s wear decreased by 2.7% to 24,501 million yen, along with those of women’s wear by 3.2% to 76,348 million yen, and children’s wear by 1.0% to 9,851 million yen.
The Japan Chain Stores Association (56 firms, 9,991 stores) reported that February apparel sales declined by 0.5% to 65,199 million yen: men’s wear, 12,605 million yen (down 0.6%); women’s wear, 19,753 million yen (down 1.2%); and other garments, 19,753 million yen (up 1.2%). The low temperature slowed down sales of spring wear.