Sales at Japanese supermarkets rose 0.1 percent in June from a year earlier to 1.174 trillion yen on a same-store basis, marking a first increase in 43 months, an industry body said Wednesday.
The Japan Chain Stores Association said the figures were bolstered mainly by sales of food and goods connected to the World Cup finals, including soccer uniforms, beer and liquid crystal display televisions.
For the six months through June, supermarket sales totaled 6.995 trillion yen on a same-store basis, down 1.6 percent from the same period a year earlier. Same-store sales data do not incorporate sales from newly opened stores.
In June, food sales, which accounted for 55.9 percent of overall supermarket sales, rose 3.1 percent to 655.75 billion yen, marking the highest year-on-year rise since March 1997.
The association attributed these robust figures to strong demand for foods related to Father's Day, including sashimi, and to demand for "happoshu" low-malt beverages during the World Cup.
Clothing sales fell 2.8 percent to 180.30 billion yen, while sales of daily commodities such as medical and cosmetic goods, furniture and electrical appliances fell 3.5 percent to 231.52 billion yen.