Virus changes New Year's sales at dept stores
TOKYO - An assortment of masks has appeared as one of the items included in the "lucky bags" available for the New Year's Day sale traditionally held at major Japanese department stores.
The Matsuya Ginza department store in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, unveiled their New Year's lucky bags for the press on Wednesday. They include a variety of masks made of high-quality toweling from Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, and special accessories that can be attached to the masks worth 20,000 yen, yet can be purchased at almost half the price.
The Tobu department store in the Ikebukuro area of Tokyo has prepared lucky bags that allow customers to receive seasonal fruits for a year. After it is purchased, the buyer will have high-end fruits, such as muskmelons and Amaou brand strawberries, delivered every month. The department store expects that people will continue to spend more time at home.
In addition to the sale of products that suit new lifestyles amid the pandemic, department stores are also offering online reservations in which customers can pick up reserved items at a specific date and time to avoid the crowds at the New Year's Day sale.
