Sluggish consumer spending caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake exacerbated declining department store sales last year, but sales at some stores in quake-hit areas showed signs of growth after the disaster.
The Japan Department Stores Association announced Thursday that in 2011, sales fell 2 percent from the previous year to 6.15 trillion yen on a same-store basis. The figure was the lowest since 1981, when sales slipped to 6.55 trillion yen, and marked the 15th consecutive annual decline.
The decline was mainly attributed to sluggish consumer spending following the massive March 11 earthquake. That same month, sales fell 14.7 percent compared to the previous year, marking the second-biggest year-on-year fall. (Yomiuri)
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