
Japanese retail sales fell during April as poor weather and a decline in the stock market put people off shopping.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said sales dropped by 0.6%, and were 2.4% lower than a year ago.Higher fuel costs, which pushed fuel sales up 8.1%, probably was another factor hitting demand, analysts said. The decline in retail sales was bigger than expected and surprised many analysts as Japan's economy and its job market has been steadily improving.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5026372.stm[size=75]Via BBC
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