Sales at department stores in Tokyo rose 2.4 percent in September from a year earlier to 157.1 billion yen for a fourth consecutive monthly rise, partly on firm demand for fall clothes, the Japan Department Stores Association said Tuesday.
The increase, adjusted for changes in the number of shops, was larger than the previous month's gain of 2.1 percent.
The association said the increase stemmed from several factors, including the fact there was one more Sunday than in September last year, favorable effects of sales campaigns and remodeling of floor layouts.
Demand for furniture, electric appliances and other household products, however, declined 11.8 percent, it said.
The September data covered 28 outlets operated by 13 department stores in Tokyo's 23 wards.
The association said sales rose 0.6 percent in the March-May period, 2.1 percent in April-June, 1.3 percent in May-July, 2 percent in June-August, and 1.5 percent in July-September.
In September, sales showed strong growth in the clothing segment, with receipts rising 6.7 percent for men's clothes, 5.5 percent for women's and 14.8 percent for children's to reach a total of 62.08 billion yen.