Japanese Retailers’ Feb. Sales Grow

TOKYO—Retailers here saw higher sales in February thanks to tourist flows to Japan, cold weather and a weak yen that boosted the prices of imported luxury goods. Fast Retailing said Tuesday that February same-store sales at its Uniqlo stores in Japan grew by 7.7 percent over the same month last year. Customer numbers were down 3 percent, but the average purchase per customer increased by 11.1 percent. “Just as in the previous year, the weather in February remained persistently cold throughout the month, boosting sales of winter items,” Fast Retailing said in a release. “A favorable launch of spring ranges also contributed to the overall expansion in sales.” Isetan Mitsukoshi said that sales among its nine department stores in the greater Tokyo area rose 7 percent year-on-year. Looking at all stores in Japan, the retailer’s sales rose 4 percent. A major boost came from the Mitsukoshi store in Tokyo’s Ginza district, which saw February sales increase by 24.6 percent. February happened to coincide with the Chinese New Year holiday- a key period for Chinese people to shop and travel. Japan is becoming an increasingly popular destination for Chinese tourists. The Japan National Tourism Organization has not yet released visitor numbers for February but it

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