Supermarket sales in November decreased by 1.4% from the previous year Rebound from last-minute demand Dec. 24 at 15:58
Last month's sales at major supermarkets across the country were 1.4% below the same month last year. Industry groups analyze that the rush in demand before the consumption tax hike continued.
According to the Japan Chain Stores Association, an industry group, sales of approximately 10,500 major supermarkets nationwide last month totaled over 96.7 billion yen.
It is the first time in seven years that sales have fallen below 1 trillion yen for the first time in seven years, except in February, when there are few days, and this is the second consecutive month following October.
In addition, when comparing stores that continue to operate, sales decreased by 1.4% from the same month last year for the second consecutive month.
This was due to a drop in sales of beer and other alcoholic beverages and cosmetics as a reaction to the last-minute demand before the consumption tax hike. Another reason is that sales of foods for pots and duvets were sluggish on many days with relatively high temperatures.
"In spite of the rush in demand, consumer wallets are becoming tighter, but I would like to expect a new year's holiday sales season," said Atsushi Inoue, Managing Director of the Japan Chain Stores Association.