Sales at department stores in Tokyo's 23 wards inched up 0.2 percent in November from a year earlier to 189.3 billion yen, following a 1.8 percent fall the previous month, the Japan Department Stores Association said Friday.
The association said the recovery was helped in part by sales campaigns and refurbishing of the stores.
Sales of women's clothing increased 1.6 percent from a year earlier, while those of men's clothing fell 4.1 percent, which was an improvement, however, from the previous month's 6.4 percent decline. Colder weather from the middle of the month spurred demand for winter clothes, the group said.
Sales of other types of personal items, such as shoes and handbags, rose 3 percent, a turnaround from a 0.6 percent drop in October.
But sales of household goods fell 4.5 percent, after a 1.6 percent drop in October.
Sales of food rose for the fourth consecutive month -- by 1.9 percent from a year earlier -- boosted partly by demand for gifts, it said.
The sales figures cover 29 outlets of 15 department stores in the core area of Tokyo. The percentage comparison is adjusted for changes in the number of outlets.