Fast Retailing Co. Ltd. on Feb. 2 said that same-store net sales of its Uniqlo apparel chain in Japan fell 2.4% year over year in January.
Uniqlo Japan attributed the decline to a low inventory of winter items, despite record cold weather and strong sales of warm clothing.
The number of customer visits to its shops in January, on a same-store basis, fell 5% year over year, although the figure was up 4.7% year-to-date in the 12-month period ending August 2018.
However, spending is rising. In January, the average purchase per customer on a same-store basis increased 2.6% year over year. For the fiscal year to date, the average purchase per customer is up 3.8%.
The apparel chain also noted that it closed two stores in January.
