Department stores enjoyed brisk sales in the new year as customers rushed to buy "fukubukuro," or lucky bags, filled with a mixture of sale items and luxury goods, retailers said Wednesday.
Combined sales Monday and Tuesday, the first two business days for the industry in 2006, were up 11 percent over the previous year at both Takashimaya Co.'s Tokyo store in Chuo Ward and Mitsukoshi Ltd.'s Nihonbashi store, also in Chuo Ward.
Other department stores also enjoyed strong sales gains. Hanshin Department Store Ltd. in Osaka reported a 7 percent to 8 percent rise over 2005, while Matsuzakaya Co. in Nagoya said sales were 8 percent higher.
Isetan Co.'s flagship Shinjuku store chalked up a one-day sales record of 2.6 billion yen Monday thanks to a sale on winter goods.
"Although the number of shoppers remains level from a year earlier, each customer spent more," an Isetan official said.
Reflecting a pickup in demand for luxury goods, Mitsukoshi's Nihonbashi store had no trouble selling a lamp studded with more than 5,000 precious gems Monday, despite its 105 million yen price tag.
Takashimaya's Chuo Ward store's lucky bags contained men's suits, shirts, cosmetics and other items at prices ranging from 10,000 yen to 40,000 yen, selling out almost immediately.