Supermarket sales in January dropped 2.7 percent from a year earlier on a same-store basis for the second straight month of decline due partly to sluggish sales of clothing and household items, an industry body said Monday.

Sales totaled ¥1.15 trillion at 8,778 outlets operated by 70 companies, according to the Japan Chain Stores Association.

Sales of clothing fell 11.9 percent to ¥142.71 billion.