Japan Department Store Sales Up 5.2 Pct in April

Tokyo, May 25 (Jiji Press)–Sales at department stores in Japan in April increased 5.2 pct from a year before on a same-store basis, up for the fourth straight month, thanks to a large increase in spending by foreign visitors, industry data showed Monday. Department store sales totaled 442.1 billion yen for the month, with tax-free sales to visitors from abroad rising 18.3 pct to 52 billion yen, according to the Japan Department Stores Association. Per-customer spending increased significantly, reflecting stronger buying appetite amid a weaker yen and higher prices for luxury brand goods. Meanwhile, the number of tax-free shoppers declined for the sixth straight month, due to a slump in the number of Chinese visitors following the Chinese government’s call on its citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan. Still, the pace of decline slowed to 6.0 pct from the previous month’s 12.3 pct. Sales to domestic shoppers were also firm, up 3.7 pct from a year earlier, as sales of spring clothes and high-end items, such as jewelry, remained robust. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]