Japanese department store sales rose 1.4 per cent year-on-year in June, thanks to robust spending by foreign tourists and an earlier-than-usual start to summer sales.

Unseasonably warm temperatures and less rain spurred demand for summer apparel.

The Japan Department Stores Association said sales at 229 stores run by 80 member companies totalled 472 billion yen (US $4.2 billion).

“The recovery trend is steadily taking hold,” an association official said.

Sales of clothing, which accounted for around 30 per cent of overall department store sales, fell 0.5 per cent, the 20th consecutive monthly decline, while food sales, which account for about the same share of total sales, edged down 0.3 per cent.

In contrast, duty-free goods sales shot up 41.4 per cent, with luxury watches, especially, selling well to foreign tourists.

Cosmetic sales soared 16.7 per cent, representing the 27th consecutive monthly gain.