Department Store Sales Declined for the First Time in Five Years Last Year, Possibly Due to China's Impact

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

デパート 去年1年間の売り上げ5年ぶりのマイナス 中国影響か

2026年1月23日午後7時05分

小売業

全国のデパートの去年1年間の売り上げは、前の年を1.5％下回り、5年ぶりのマイナスとなりました。中国政府が日本への渡航自粛を呼びかけたことで、免税品の売り上げが大きく減ったことなどが影響したとみられます。

日本百貨店協会の発表によりますと、全国のデパートの去年1年間の売り上げは5兆6754億円と、前の年を1.5％下回り、5年ぶりのマイナスとなりました。

外国人旅行者向けの免税品の売り上げが5667億円と、前の年より12.7％減ったことが主な要因で、中国政府が日本への渡航自粛を呼びかけたことが影響したとみられます。

中国人旅行客は先月も客数と売り上げともに前の年の同じ月に比べておよそ4割減少しています。 

日本百貨店協会の西阪義晴専務理事は「中国からの航空便も減少しているので、春節の時期も含めて当面、デパートへの影響は続くのではないか」と話していました。

Translation

Department Store Sales Declined for the First Time in Five Years Last Year, Possibly Due to China's Impact

Nationwide sales at department stores across Japan fell 1.5% last year, the first decline in five years.  Chinese government's called for people to refrain from traveling to Japan appeared to have had an impact including a significant drop in sales of duty-free goods.

According to the Japan Department Stores Association, sales at department stores nationwide last year totaled 5.6754 trillion yen, down 1.5% from the previous year and the first decline in five years.

This was primarily due to sales of duty-free goods to foreign tourists falling 12.7% to 566.7 billion yen, likely due to the Chinese government's call for people to refrain from traveling to Japan.

Regarding Chinese tourists last month, both in terms of customer numbers and sales, also fell by approximately 40% compared to the same month last year.

Yoshiharu Nishizaka (西阪義晴), executive director of the Japan Department Stores Association, said, "With the number of flights from China also decreasing, the impact on department stores is likely to continue for the time being, including the Chinese New Year period."

              So, the nationwide sales at department stores across Japan fell 1.5% last year, probably due to Chinese government's call for people to refrain from traveling to Japan. It seems that Japan is ready to embrace the impact.