Supermarket sales fell 4.8 percent in July from a year earlier on a same-store basis for the eighth straight month of decline.
Sales totaled ¥1.09 trillion at 8,150 outlets operated by 70 companies, the Japan Chain Stores Association said Monday.
Three main product categories — food, clothing and household goods — all posted lower sales than in the year before, the association said.
Food sales dropped 2.3 percent and those of clothing declined 13.7 percent. Household products, including medicine, furniture and home electrical appliances, fell 5.1 percent.