Supermarket sales in Japan in 2024 increased 2.7% from the previous year on a same-store basis, up for the fifth consecutive year, the Japan Chain Stores Association said Thursday.
Sales at all stores totaled ¥13 trillion. Price increases of rice and vegetables such as cabbage pushed up overall sales while the number of purchased items continued to decrease as customers became thriftier.
Food sales, which occupied some 70% of the overall sales, rose 4.4% due to price hikes by manufacturers as well as higher rice and vegetable prices.
Sales of home-related items also expanded 4.4% as an increase in the number of people going out boosted cosmetics sales. Brisk sales of emergency supplies also contributed to the rise.
In contrast, apparel sales shrank 5.4% as demand fell for coats and other winter clothes due to relatively warm weather between October and December.
In December alone, all-store supermarket sales stood at ¥1.3 trillion. Sales climbed 3.0% from a year before on a same-store basis, up for the second consecutive month.
