Japanese Department Stores See Sales Increases in OctoberLower-priced retailers focusing on basics did not fare well, due to warm weather throughout the month.

[Collection]TOKYO — Department store sales in Japan were given a boost in October, with consumption increasing and sales to overseas visitors recovering. Lower priced, more basic clothing stores suffered due to warm weather throughout the month, which put a damper on sales of fall staples. Fast Retailing said Friday that same-store sales among its Uniqlo stores in Japan dropped 10 percent in October, compared with the same month last year. Customer numbers were down by 5.5 percent, while the average purchase per customer contracted by 4.7 percent. “Same-store sales dipped in October as consistently warm weather throughout the month weakened immediate demand for fall [and] winter items,” Fast Retailing said in a release. After opening seven stores in Japan last month and closing four, Fast Retailing operates 787 Uniqlo doors across the country. Shimamura, a cut-priced Japanese fashion retailer, said its October sales fell by 5.3 percent on the year. Its customer numbers inched up by 0.5 percent, but the average purchase per customer was down 5.8 percent. Shimamura opened just one store last month, bringing its total to 1,420 nationwide. Department stores, on the other hand, fared better. Isetan Mitsukoshi, Japan’s largest department store operator, said same-store sales from its seven locations in the

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