Society

Department store sales continue to drop

Aug 18 (NHK) - Japan's major department store chains say their sales sharply dropped in the first half of August due to the resurgence of the coronavirus, which is keeping many shoppers at home.

Daimaru Matsuzakaya said sales from August 1 through 13 dipped by 33 percent from the same period of last year, while Takashimaya reported a decline of 18.7 percent.

Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings said sales from August 1 through 16 were down by 23.1 percent.

The three chains say duty-free shopping by foreign tourists fell by more than 90 percent. Domestic shoppers also decreased as people avoided going out due to renewed fears of coronavirus infection.

The department stores are putting their efforts toward a sales recovery by focusing more on telephone and online shopping services.

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