27.02.201919:15:00UTC+00Japan Retail Sales Contract 2.3 Percent In January

The total value of retail sales in Japan was down a seasonally adjusted 2.3 percent on month in January, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Thursday.

That missed expectations for a decline of 0.8 percent following the 0.9 percent increase in December.

On a yearly basis, retail sales advanced 0.6 percent - again missing forecasts for a gain of 1.4 percent and down from 1.3 percent in the previous month.

Large retailer sales tumbled an annual 3.3 percent, missing expectations for a drop of 1.8 percent following the 1.0 percent decline a month earlier.