Extended winter spurs clothing sales at Japanese stores
03 Mar '12
1 min read
The prolonged cold weather conditions have resulted in extended sales of winter wear during the month of February at four of the five major department stores in Japan.
Normally, Japanese stores sell more spring apparel in February, but the trend was reversed this year and there was an increase in the sales of winter clothing such as coats and scarves.
Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores Co. reported sales growth of 1.2 percent year-on-year in February owing to increased demand for coats, stoles and gloves.
Similarly, in spite of implementation of a one-day regular holiday in the Tokyo area, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. registered a rise of 0.2 percent y-o-y in its earnings. The store saw increased sales of high-end branded products.
Sogo & Seibu Co. posted a 2 percent y-o-y rise in its February sales, while revenues of Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores Inc. increased by 0.1 percent y-o-y.
However, there was a 1 percent drop in sales at Takashimaya Co.