Major supermarket chain operator Aeon Co. started selling fukubukuro lucky bags at some outlets Friday, seven days ahead of New Year's day, when the cut-price items usually go on sale.
The extended sales period was prompted by efforts to prevent crowding in stores as part of novel coronavirus measures.
Fukubukuro bags were to be on the shelves of about 400 Aeon Group stores in the Honshu and Shikoku regions by the new year.
Special offers include assortments of loungewear and underwear, as people are spending more time at home.
With telecommuting becoming more common, a kotatsu heated table with a USB port was one of the featured products on sale.
The supermarket chain operator said it is planning to offer special prices for blue-fin tuna and wagyu beef during the year-end and new-year holidays.
"We want customers to have more time to enjoy shopping this year," said the manager of an Aeon outlet in Higashi-Kurume, Tokyo.
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