— See Separate Table For Details Of Individual Forecasts
TOKYO (MNI) – Japanese retail sales in January are expected to show
a 0.2% fall on the year, posting the first y/y decline in two months,
after +2.5% in December, -2.2% in November and +1.9% in October,
according to the median forecast of economists polled by Market News
International.
The Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry will release the data at
0850 JST on Tuesday, Feb. 28 (2350 GMT Monday).
January retail sales are seen weaker than in December as lower
temperatures and heavy snowfalls kept shoppers away from retail stores,
according to a majority of economists in the survey.
Combined department store sales fell 1.1% y/y in January, switching
from +0.8% in December.
Meanwhile, some economists forecast the January sales would show a
y/y gain, as auto sales were stronger in January, compared with
December.
Sales of all types of automobiles rose 36.2% y/y in January,
accelerating from +21.3% in December.
skodama@marketnews.com
** Market News International Tokyo Newsroom: 81-3-5403-4838 **
[TOPICS: M$J$$$,M$A$$$,MAJDS$]