TOKYO, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Japan's department store sales decreased by 2.9 percent in January compared to a year earlier, the Japan Department Stores Association said Thursday.
According to the association's survey, the total sales volume stood at 492.7 billion yen (4.45 billion U.S. dollars) in 218 stores under the operation of 79 companies.
Sales of miscellaneous goods like cosmetics decreased by 0.8 percent, while sales of clothing declined by 5.2 percent.
Tax-free sales dropped for the first time in 26 months to 26.2 billion yen (236.63 million dollars), down 7.7 percent compared to a year earlier.
Moreover, spending per person dropped by 8.4 percent to about 63,000 yen (569 dollars).
The association said that an increase in the number of days the stores were closed was one reason behind the decrease.
