Department store sales fell 2.5 percent to 8.29 trillion yen on a same-store basis in fiscal 2002, the sixth consecutive year of decline, an industry association said Thursday.

The Japan Department Stores Association said the sales, adjusted for a change in the number of stores, remained sluggish as the seemingly endless economic slump continued to dampen demand from individual and corporate customers.

According to association data, covering 291 outlets run by 100 department stores, sales of clothing, the largest category, fell 2.9 percent to 3.29 trillion yen.

Food sales slipped 1.2 percent to 1.98 trillion yen, and sales of furniture, home appliances and other household items slid 1.9 percent to 1.13 trillion yen.

In March, department store sales fell 3.7 percent from a year earlier to 725.8 billion yen, down for the 12th straight month. The association attributed the poor showing to colder temperatures and bad weather.

Supermarket sales slip

Sales at supermarkets slid 1.9 percent to 14.38 trillion yen on a same-store basis in fiscal 2002, the sixth consecutive year of decline, the Japan Chain Stores Association said Thursday.

The association's report covered 101 operators that run a combined 8,723 outlets.

Food sales, which accounted for 55.7 percent of overall sales, rose 1.2 percent to 8 trillion yen on the back of steady demand for health-oriented items and the popularity of high-end gifts.

Clothing sales, which made up 14.6 percent of the total, declined 4.6 percent to 2.1 trillion yen, due to sluggish demand for winter clothes.

Sales of household products slipped 5.1 percent to 3.03 trillion yen, the association said, adding that liquid crystal display TVs and halogen heaters were among popular products in the reporting year.

In a preliminary report for March, the association said supermarket sales declined 2 percent to 1.17 trillion yen from 12 months earlier.

Food sales grew 1.7 percent to 657.4 billion yen, but sales dipped 6.9 percent to 157.5 billion yen for clothing and 3.1 percent to 259.9 billion yen for household products.