Japan April duty free sales: Ideas Later.

Japan April duty-free sales up for 2nd month on higher shopper spending

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Article:TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Duty-free sales at Japan's department stores in April rose 18.3 percent from a year earlier to 52.01 billion yen ($327 million), increasing for the second consecutive month, driven by higher spending per customer due partly to the yen's continued depreciation, industry data said Monday.

The number of Chinese customers dived roughly 30 percent in the reporting month amid diplomatic friction between the two countries. But sales to them rebounded, with the drop narrowing to around 2 percent, according to the Japan Department Stores Association.

The number of duty-free shoppers fell 6.0 percent to 491,000, decreasing for the sixth straight months, while the overall figure was supported by increased sales to visitors from countries including Taiwan, South Korea and others in Southeast Asia, the association said.

"Customer spending has grown strongly regardless of country, likely driven by both boosted purchasing appetite from the weaker yen and rising prices per item following price hikes," an association official said.

Japan-China relations have been strained since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in parliament last November that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" that could prompt a response by the Self-Defense Forces in support of the United States.

Excluding duty-free sales, domestic department store sales climbed 3.7 percent in April, up for the ninth straight month, as higher temperatures across Japan boosted sales of spring clothing and miscellaneous products, while promotional events including regional product fairs helped draw shoppers, the association said.

Demand for high-end items such as jewelry and watches also remained strong, mainly fueled by affluent customers with robust purchasing power, the official said.

The strong sales appear to be supported both by purchases by overseas visitors and demand from a broader range of domestic customers, as not only wealthy shoppers but also younger customers are willing to buy brands they like, he added.

Overall sales at 172 stores operated by 68 companies rose 5.2 percent from the previous year to 442.16 billion yen, making a fourth straight month of year-on-year growth, the association said.

Article source:  https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260525/p2g/00m/0na/044000c