Japan’s supermarkets reported higher revenue in September from a year ago, mostly due to price hikes. It was the second straight month of gains, but sales by volume dipped as consumers remain budget conscious.
The Japan Chain Stores Association says total sales in the month came in just short of 995 billion yen, or about 6.5 billion dollars. That’s up 1 percent from a year ago.
Revenue from food sales climbed 2.6 percent owing to higher vegetable and rice prices.
Revenue from non-food items excluding clothing jumped 6.1 percent. The hotter-than-usual weather was seen as a factor in this as the gain was led by sun screen, antiperspirant and similar products.
Association official Makino Tsuyoshi says the revenue gains reflect price increases and don’t paint the full picture.
He explained: “Prices have moved higher, but shopper incomes haven’t. Sales have increased, but the number of items sold is decreasing. It’s not a good situation.”