Department store sales rebound

Department store sales in November rose 2.4 percent from a year earlier on a same-store basis, marking the first increase in two months as consumers stepped up buying ahead of the consumption tax hike in April.

The Japan Department Stores Association also credited the rebound to improved confidence backed by expectations for higher winter bonuses.

Clothing sales, which accounted for 34.9 percent of overall sales, rose 1.0 percent as temperatures dropped from mid-November.

Sales of personal items, such as luxury bags and accessories, rose 5.9 percent, while big-ticket items, such as art, jewelry and precious metals, surged 21.0 percent, it said.