Japan's department stores sales rise 2.7%

Department stores sales of Japan in August was up 2.7 percent on yearly basis, rising for the first time in two months, mainly due to sales of summer goods amid a heatwave, local media reported Friday. Kyodo News quoted the Japan Department Stores Association as saying, sales of summer clothing, parasols and sunglasses were strong. Sales of luxury goods such as jewelry and wristwatches surged 18.3 percent, also contributing to the data's up. Sales of furniture increased 5.8 percent, helped by growing housing demand. Total sales at 242 department stores run by 85 companies reached 429.1 billion yen (about 4.32 billion U.S. Dollars) in the reporting period.