Retail sales in Japan were up a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent on month in November, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Wednesday.
That beat forecasts for a decline of 0.5 percent, although it was down from the 2.5 percent spike in October.
On a yearly basis, retail sales jumped 1.7 percent - also beating expectations for 0.8 percent following the 0.2 percent contraction in the previous month.
Sales from large retailers were down 0.3 percent on year, beating forecasts for a fall of 0.5 percent after sliding 1.0 percent a month earlier.
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