Japan’s department store sales fell 3.5 percent in June from a year earlier on a same-store basis, falling for the fourth straight month, reflecting a drop in sales to foreign visitors, an industry body said Wednesday.
Sales at 236 stores run by 81 companies totaled 469.9 billion yen ($4.4 billion) in June, according to the Japan Department Stores Association.
Sales to foreign visitors declined 20.4 percent to around 13 billion yen, falling for the third straight month, as their shopping focus shifted from expensive shoes and bags to cheaper daily-use items such as cosmetics and foods.
While the number of foreign customers rose 14 percent, up for the 41st consecutive month, the amount spent per foreign customer fell by 30.2 percent.
Sales of clothing, accounting for around 30 percent of total department store sales, declined 5.7 percent to 137.7 billion yen.
