Sales at Tokyo department stores in November posted their sharpest rise in five years due to a sharp downturn in temperatures leading to active overcoat sales, an industry body said Wednesday.

The sales rose 4.3 percent from a year before to 172.7 billion yen on a same store basis, almost matching the 5.4 percent rise seen in September 2000, according to the Japan Department Stores Association.

November's rise followed a 1.5 percent fall the previous month.

Tokyo's average temperature in the month was 2 degrees lower than the previous year, the association said, with the chilly weather triggering brisk sales of woolen overcoats, which offer fatter per-unit margins than those made from other fabrics.

The association noted in October that unseasonably higher temperatures dampened sales of clothing in the month.

November's overall sales of clothing, the largest merchandise category for the nation's department stores, gained 8.2 percent.

Examining sales in the category by gender, the association said sales of men's clothing shot up 15.1 percent, while those of women's clothing advanced 7.9 percent.

Sales of food, the second-largest category, increased 0.4 percent, waging a rebound for the first time in 21 months.

The statistics covered sales at 27 outlets in Tokyo run by 13 department store chains.