TOKYO — Japanese retailers posted their second consecutive month of growth in July, indicating that consumer sentiment is continuing to recover after the March 11 earthquake.
Fast Retailing Co. Ltd.’s Uniqlo said Tuesday that its same-store sales for the month of July increased by 11.2 percent. Customer numbers were up 7 percent, and the size of the average purchase per customer rose 3.9 percent.
“Same-store sales expanded year-on-year in July as the hot weather, particularly at the beginning of the month, boosted sales of Super Cool Biz-related clothing and other summer items,” the company said in a release. Super Cool Biz is a Japanese government-led initiative that encourages office workers to dress in lighter clothes to save energy on electricity.
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Department store operator Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings said Monday that sales at its nine main stores rose 3.8 percent year-on-year. July is the fourth straight month of sales increases for the retailer.
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A spokesman for Isetan Mitsukoshi noted sales increases in summer clothing and gift items, as well as a boost due a clearance sale at the beginning of the month, but these were not the only reasons for the retailer’s strong performance.
“A big reason [for the sales increase] is that the Ginza store is bigger [than it was last year],” the spokesman said, referring to a renovation that closed a large section of the store until last September. Sales at Ginza Mitsukoshi alone more than doubled in July.
J. Front Retailing, which operates the Daimaru and Matsuzakaya chains, reported a 3.7 percent increase in July same-store sales. The company currently operates 21 department stores in Japan.
Sales at Takashimaya’s 18 department stores in Japan increased by 0.9 percent year-on-year, with sales at individual stores growing by up to 8.7 percent.
Economists have said they expect the export-driven Japanese economy to rebound later this year. On Monday Nomura economist Takahide Kiuchi issued a note stating that the ongoing appreciation of the yen against the dollar is “unlikely to derail the prospects of a sharp recovery in the near term.”
Meanwhile, many of the fears about Japan’s potential energy shortage during the summer have abated. Although there have been some sweltering days at various points, temperatures have been relatively cooler than normal and companies have been making a concerted effort to cut back on electricity and supply appears stable. For the most part, retailers are open and operating as normal.