Apparel sales decreased at both department stores and chain stores in Japan in May 2017.
According to the Japan Department Stores Association, same-store sales of apparel at 229 member stores in May decreased by 3.1% to 149,395 million yen. Some summer items came to sell in earnest with the rise in temperature.
Apparel sales decreased across the board: men’s wear, 33,564 million yen (down 2.0%); women’s wear, 93,222 million yen (down 3.5%); and children’s wear, 12,287 million yen (down 1.1%).
The Japan Chain Stores Association reported that May same-store sales of apparel at 9,434 member stores decreased by 2.2% from the year before to 95,390 million yen: men’s wear, 18,379 million yen; women’s wear, 27,734 million yen (down 3.8%); and other garments, 49,277 million yen (down 1.3%).
In men’s wear, sales were favorable for jackets, slacks, knitted short pants and summer blousons. Favorably selling women’s wear items were suits, jackets, skircho (a combination of skirt and gaucho pants) and cut-and-sewn articles.