TOKYO (AFX-ASIA) - Department store sales in Tokyo in January fell 0.7 pct year-on-year, compared with a 0.5 pct rise in December, the Japan Department Store Association said. It said the impact of snowy weather offset the strong performance in discount sales.
The largest fall was in sales of services, down 13.4 pct, followed by household products, down 9.2 pct, and restaurant and cafe receipts, down 2.1 pct. The largest rise was in sales of "others", up 14.2 pct, followed by food, up 3.1 pct, and personal products, up 0.9 pct. Floor space fell 4.1 pct year-on-year, with the number of days of operation totalling 29.4, from 28.7 a year earlier.