Inbound tourists are driving Japanese department store sales to record highs, with duty-free monthly sales reaching a record 39.49 billion yen ($279 million) due to the weak yen. Duty-free sales for inbound tourists have seen a 2.3-fold increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, discounters Aldi and Lidl are experiencing record-breaking festive sales, with Aldi achieving its best-ever Christmas performance and Lidl claiming its best Christmas yet. The record-breaking sales were attributed to consumer cost-cutting efforts amidst high inflation.

Tourist and Discount Sales Surge