Sales at department stores in Japan in July fell 6.2% from a year before on a same-store basis, down for the sixth straight month, industry data showed Monday.
Total sales came to ¥468.3 billion, the Japan Department Stores Association said.
The decline was partly because the number of shoppers from abroad plunged 16.7% to 476,000 to slip below 500,000 for the first time in 10 months.
Tax-free sales to visitors from abroad slumped 36.3% to ¥40.3 billion. The average spending per overseas shopper decreased 23.6%, with the yen's rise dampening demand for luxury brand goods.
South Korean customers continued to decrease while the number of shoppers from Hong Kong tumbled amid a rumor there that a major earthquake would occur in Japan in July.
Tax-free sales in May-July fell sharply from a year before, when such sales were brisk thanks to the yen's weakness.
Weak consumption by visitors from abroad is expected to have a smaller impact in August and later, an association official said, adding that active demand from domestic shoppers will help brink overall department store sales back to year-before levels.
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