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Japan’s Retail Sales Decline for First Time in Three Months
Japan’s retail sales fell for the first time in three months, signaling that consumer spending is struggling to maintain traction. Key Points • Retail sales fell 1.1 percent in August from the previous month, when they rose 1.5 percent, according to a trade ministry report released on Thursday. • The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for a 0.6 percent drop. • Compared with a year earlier, they fell 2.1 percent (forecast -1.7 percent). • Sales of department stores and supermarkets fell 3.6 percent from a year earlier (forecast -2.6 percent). Big Picture The latest figures underscore the ... (full story)