TOKYO (AFX-ASIA) - Retail sales fell 3.0 pct year-on-year in July after declining by 1.9 pct in June, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said.
The ministry provided the following July year-on-year data:
Department store sales - down 1.6 pct
Supermarket sales - down 4.2 pct
Food and beverage sales - down 1.7 pct
Clothing sales - down 3.1 pct
Others - down 5.1 pct
Private-sector economists earlier forecast a fall in retail sales of between 2.9 and 3.3 pct.