The 4 major department store companies posted same-store sales above the prior-year level in October, with all 4—三越伊勢丹ホールディングス, 大丸松坂屋, 阪急阪神 and 高島屋—reporting higher sales.
According to preliminary October sales figures released by the 4 major department store companies, same-store sales were 110.9% of the prior-year level at 三越伊勢丹百貨店, 101.9% at 大丸松坂屋百貨店, 113.2% at 阪急阪神百貨店 and 102.1% at 高島屋, with all companies exceeding the prior-year level. In-store sales were 112.5% at Isetan Shinjuku Main Store, 106.8% at Mitsukoshi Nihombashi Main Store, 128.4% at Mitsukoshi Ginza Store, 93.4% at Isetan Tachikawa Store and 96.1% at Isetan Urawa Store, showing differences by store. Same-store sales at the 5 stores in the Tokyo metropolitan area remained strong at 112.4%.
Domestic customer sales were driven by sales of high-value-added items such as jewelry, watches and handbags, while events held at Isetan Shinjuku Main Store expanded contact points with new customers. Overseas customer sales remained high at 138.9%, and the number of purchasing customers also continued above the prior-year level. The company outlined a policy of pursuing growth on par with that among domestic customers through overseas customer-facing apps and personal shopping services.
By store group, duty-free sales at 大丸松坂屋百貨店 overall rose 15.8% year on year, while customer numbers fell 0.7% and average spend per customer rose 16.7%. Domestic sales at 大丸松坂屋百貨店, excluding duty-free sales, declined 1.7% year on year. At 阪急阪神, department store sales were 113.2% of the prior-year level, with Hankyu Main Store at 112.3% and Hanshin Umeda Main Store at 140.5%, indicating strong performance. 高島屋 reported same-store sales of 102.0% across its 10 stores and total sales of 102.1%, with stores including Nihombashi and Shinjuku exceeding the prior-year level.