Sales at convenience stores in Japan dropped 2.4 percent in February from a year earlier on a same-store basis to 483.54 billion yen, declining for the 19th consecutive month, an industry body said Monday.
The Japan Franchise Association said the number of shoppers rose 0.1 percent to 817.46 million, but sales dropped as per-shopper expenditures fell 2.1 percent to 578 yen per visit.
The body attributed the increase in the number of shoppers partly to some chain stores' campaigns to attract customers.
Sales on an all-store basis rose 1.1 percent to 529.36 billion yen.
The sales figures are based on data from the association's 11 member convenience store chains, including Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Lawson Inc. and FamilyMart Co.