.

[nottu]

[Doctor Stop]

Can you imagine how terrible the figures would have been had there not been Chinese tourists in the stores?

My guess is the total percentage of department store sales to foreign tourists were quite low. Chinese tourists aren't going to save department stores, except maybe those in touristy areas.

[Screwed Up Eyes]

Bloody foreigners. What have the foreigners ever done for us?

[IparryU]

Bloody foreigners. What have the foreigners ever done for us?

We help populate the cuntry.

[McTojo]

We help populate the cuntry.

No. There're enough cunts here already. I blame the drop sales on computers. People would rather shop online, in which case they'd probably have more choices. That's how I become. I got tired of going out and riding on trains and buses just to pick up something I could have delivered right to my door step.

[nottu]

[Greji]

I don't think the Chinese or any other tourist can be expected to make a dent in the department stores' demise. The main thrust of the problem is embedded in the title of the article - Japan Department store sales down for the 31st consecutive month.
@McTojo - If the Japanese were substituting their on foot purchases with Internet purchases at the department stores sales would not be declining. The Japanese are substituting Uniqlo and the like for for the department stores. Its interesting to walk in the department stores and see how little purchasing goes on.

Hey nottu-chan, didn't Jack issue one of his profound prognostics on the great future of the Departo business in mighty Nippon?

[Mulboyne]

Hey nottu-chan, didn't Jack issue one of his profound prognostics on the great future of the Departo business in mighty Nippon?

In this thread back in 2007:

[Typhoon]

Didn't Hankyu Hanshin recently close it's venerable Shijo Kawaramachi department store in Kyoto?

[Yokohammer]

Didn't Hankyu Hanshin recently close it's venerable Shijo Kawaramachi department store in Kyoto?

Yes. They closed on August 22.
Oh boy, more space to build game centers, pachinko parlors, and karaoke bars!

[nottu]

[Greji]

That would have coincided with the epic 31 month long consecutive month-on-month decline.

[Typhoon]

Yes. They closed on August 22.
Oh boy, more space to build game centers, pachinko parlors, and karaoke bars!

If the Kyoto government has any sense,
they'd ban all three
from Gojo to Imadegawa and from
Horikawa to Higashi Oji

[Mulboyne]

Oh boy, more space to build game centers, pachinko parlors, and karaoke bars!

To be fair, they are suffering too. Game centres and pachinko parlours have been closing faster than department stores around the country while karaoke boxes, faring a little better, have also hit a wall. It may look like they are always opening but there's a lot of burn in those businesses as well as "renewal open" refurbishments to drum up trade. The absolute numbers have been on the decline for a few years now.

I'm always surprised when I see articles which describe pachinko parlours as spreading like a rash. In fact when you think about those closures, add in bank branches, sarakin, family restaurants, record stores and eikaiwa schools, the Japanese high street has been changing quite a lot.

The main beneficiaries have been coffee shops, fast food chains, Book Off and clothing retailers like Uniqlo.