Sales at convenience stores in November fell 6.3 percent from a year earlier to ¥585.14 billion on a same-store basis, declining for the sixth consecutive month, an industry body said Monday.

Sales declined because bad weather and the recession combined to dampen consumer sentiment, according to the Japan Franchise Association.

The frequency of convenience store visits slipped 3.3 percent to 1.04 billion, falling for the fifth straight month.

Average spending per customer dropped 3.0 percent to ¥564.6, down for the 12th consecutive month.