The total value of retail sales in Japan was down 9.7 percent on year in March, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Tuesday - coming in at 12.396 trillion yen.
That missed forecasts for a decline of 7.5 percent following the 1.7 percent contraction in February.
Sales from large retailers plummeted an annual 13.0 percent to 1.715 trillion yen - also missing estimates for a fall of 10.9 percent following the 1.3 percent increase in the previous month.
On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail sales dipped 1.9 percent versus expectations for an increase of 0.6 percent after gaining 0.7 percent a month earlier.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.