Japan Dept., Restaurant Sales Up 20 Pct in Sept.

Tokyo, Oct. 25 (Jiji Press)--With coronavirus restrictions removed in Japan, sales at domestic department stores and chain restaurants grew some 20 pct in September from a year earlier, industry groups said Tuesday.

According to the Japan Department Stores Association, all-store sales totaled 381.3 billion yen. On a same-store basis, sales expanded 20.2 pct year on year, marking a rise for the seventh straight month.

Autumn and winter clothing, such as coats and jackets, enjoyed brisk sales, and so did travel bags, jewelry and confectioneries for souvenirs.

So far in October, especially sales to foreign tourists have been strong thanks to the substantial easing of the country's coronavirus border controls.

While welcoming the recovering inbound demand, Yoko Yasuda, a senior official of the association, told a press conference Tuesday that the industry is worried about deterioration in sentiment among middle-class consumers due to price hikes stemming from the yen's weakening.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]